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Track(s) taken from CDA67019

The Herald

First line:
A grim old king
composer
1925
author of text

London Symphony Chorus, Stephen Westrop (chorus master), Vernon Handley (conductor)
Recording details: April 1998
St Alban's Church, Holborn, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Andrew Keener
Engineered by Antony Howell & Julian Millard
Release date: November 1998
Total duration: 3 minutes 42 seconds
 

Other recordings available for download

The Donald Hunt Singers, Donald Hunt (conductor)

Reviews

‘Marvellous songs … most beautifully sung’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Deserves to remain the authoritative recording for many years to come’ (Choir & Organ)

‘No Elgar fan will want to miss the genuinely valuable disc. Another Hyperion success’ (Classic CD)

‘You cannot do better than a recent Hyperion disc of choral songs. The choral writing is beautiful in an understated way and the performances are winning’ (The New York Times)
Dark hues characterize The Herald, a mixed-voice song brought out by Elkin, about a ‘grim old king’ going to his death, having ‘won a rich kingdom’, but now ‘in the sunset he was ebbing fast’. One wonders to what extent the world-weary composer, who had ruled the English musical kingdom some fifteen years earlier, was picturing himself in these words.

from notes by Geoffrey Hodgkins © 1998

Other albums featuring this work

Elgar: The complete choral songs
CDA66271/22CDs Download only
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