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Track(s) taken from CDA67899

My sword for the King

First line:
Farewell to the feasting
composer
1930
author of text

Roderick Williams (baritone), Christopher Glynn (piano)
Recording details: January 2010
Concert Hall, Wyastone Estate, Monmouth, United Kingdom
Produced by Andrew Mellor
Engineered by Andrew Mellor
Release date: January 2012
Total duration: 2 minutes 18 seconds

Cover artwork: Pale Moon (2002). Ann Brain (b1944)
Private Collection / Bridgeman Images
 

Reviews

‘Singers and pianist perform with conviction and style’ (Gramophone)

‘Head created the most inventive and sympathetic writing for voice and piano, in asymmetrical, free-flowing, artful settings of poets such as Walter De La Mare, John Masefield and Christina Rossetti … their expressive power is enhanced by the presence of the pianist Christopher Glynn and three particularly word-sensitive singers … a revelation’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘As these meticulous performances demonstrate, Head was acutely sensitive to words. There are settings of Masefield and Yeats, Hardy, Joyce and Christina Rossetti here, and in every song each phrase is perfectly balanced, its accompaniment supremely tactful’ (The Guardian)

‘Head, a long-neglected member of the first world war generation of English composers, is coming back to favour, and this collection of 27 songs, deftly accompanied by Christopher Glynn, will do his reputation nothing but good … Head makes sure England's fields are forever green, even when the mood is tinged with sadness’ (Financial Times)
My sword for the King (1930), to words by Helen Taylor, has a swashbuckling heroism to the melody and accompaniment, as the warrior sets aside the pleasures of peace and love, to serve his King.

from notes by Andrew Burn © 2012

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