Classical Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams Carols From Herefordshire

Ralph Vaughan Williams Carols from Herefordshire

The Holy Well (First Version) (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); The Holy Well (Second Version) (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); Christmas Now is Drawing Near at Hand (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); Christmas Now is Drawing Near at Hand (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); Joseph and Mary (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); The Angel Gabriel (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); New Year's Carol (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); On Christmas Day (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); Dives and Lazarus (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); The Miraculous Harvest (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); The Saviour's Love (SATB) & (Voice and Piano); The Seven Virgins (SATB) & (Voice and Piano);

William Vann and the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea
Bass-baritone Derek Welton, Iain Burnside piano.
Albion Records ALBCD064

https://rvwsociety.com/albionrecords/

If you are looking for something different this Christmas, then look no further. This well-sung and unusual album is delightful.

When Vaughan Williams and his friend and fellow folk song collector Mrs. Ella Mary Leather published Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire in 1920, the composer offered two settings for each carol—for unaccompanied SATB and for voice and piano. The texts published were an amalgam of religious folk song texts, including much material that was ‘traditional’ rather than biblical. As a consequence, this important historical source was not generally suitable for a church carol service, and the songs have been neglected.

This superbly recorded album includes the voice and piano versions recorded with Derek Welton and Iain Burnside in 2011 (part of ALBCD013 On Christmas Day). These earlier recordings have been reissued. However, the Albion team has now recorded the a cappella versions with William Vann and the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Most of the choral versions have never been recorded, but one or two exceptions make extensive use of an organ, so we think that all twelve are first recordings as published (two of them sharing the honours with ALBCD063 above).

There are 24 tracks, with both Vaughan Williams settings of the 12 carols and the Albion press material stating that ‘Just to confuse the issue a little more, the first two songs are different versions of The Holy Well—that is, different tunes altogether and variant-related texts—so four of the 24 tracks are called The Holy Well. The names don’t matter, and it becomes a lot less confusing when you just listen to the music. Some of the texts are particularly interesting…’

Not only is this an interesting disc, but William Vann’s choir is terrific and excellently balanced with fine, controlled singing. Bass-baritone Derek Welton’s tone is lovely, and as with the choir, diction is clear; Ian Burnside’s sympathetic piano accompaniments never intrude. 

A welcome addition to the catalogues and something to complement the ubiquitous sugar-coated carols.