COMPOSERS: Butterworth,Farrar,Finzi,Gurney
LABELS: Hyperion Dyad
ALBUM TITLE: Collection: War's Embers
WORKS: Songs by Finzi, Gurney, Butterworth, Farrar,
PERFORMER: Browne & KellyMartyn Hill (tenor), Stephen Varcoe (baritone), Michael George (bass), Clifford Benson (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: CDD 22026 AAD 1987
If you enjoy English song, this set is a must. Michael Hurd explains in his excellent notes that the collection seeks to fill gaps; it also makes a compelling case for wider recognition. Many of these songs were composed by Ivor Gurney and receive devoted performances. These composers were involved in the Great War, and some
of them failed to survive it, but the songs range across several decades. The singers are Britain’s best, and their excellence is matched by the accompaniments of Clifford Benson. Terry Barfoot