Partsongs by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford

It seems a paradox that over the years we have gone to such great lengths to become familiar with the music of Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan-Willliams, John Ireland, Frank Bridge and Arthur Bliss and yet we still know far less of the music of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, their composition teacher at the Royal College of Music! There is no doubt however, that Stanford was a considerable composer in his own right. He was not only at ease with large musical structures - nine operas, seven symphonies, ten concertos, six Irish rhapsodies, four masses and eight string quartets among others, are ample witness - but he was also gifted in writing musical miniatures and his songs, some of which we have already covered (SOMM214 - A Century of English Song Vol. 2 - Sarah Leonard, Malcolm Martineau), have charm, lyricism and a sensitivity to the rhythm of words.

There has been renewed interest in the music of Stanford recently and with the kind support of the Stanford Society, SOMM now turns the spotlight on Stanford's Partsongs in the second of a series of recordings with the Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir who has achieved an enviable reputation under the direction of Paul Spicer, in recent years.

The eight Partsongs Opus 119 set to poems by Mary Coleridge - including the glorious Bluebird - appear on CD as a complete set for the very first time. Our recording also includes ten Songs which are first recordings.