Divine Art Records

Composer: Frank Bridge

  • Gods, Ghosts and Monsters

    Gods, Ghosts and Monsters

    This debut album, from Germany based ensemble Conceptus, features music for tenor and ensemble by Butterworth, Warlock, Holst and Bridge, in addition to Timothy Collins’ Sea Song. Collins has composed and arranged extensively for the ensemble.

    Sea Song – Timothy Collins
    Originally composed in 2018 and set to the poignant poetry of Katherine Mansfield, this evocative piece delves into themes of ageing, sorrow, and loss. Conceptus has brought Collins’ musical narrative to life with an accompanying 10-minute music film available on Apple Music and Youtube.

    Six Songs from a Shropshire Lad – George Butterworth
    Delving into themes of nostalgia and the tragedy of lost youth, this collection, originally composed in 1911, captures the essence of Alfred Edward Housman’s timeless poetry. Collins’ arrangements embellish the poignant resonance of Butterworth’s work, forever etched in the annals of English song.

    The Curlew – Peter Warlock
    Peter Warlock’s masterwork, “The Curlew,” meticulously arranged for Conceptus by Timothy Collins. Woven from the poetry of William Butler Yeats, this haunting composition, originally scored for string quartet, cor anglais, and flute, delves into macabre imagery and desolate landscapes.

    Hymns from the Rig Veda Opus 24 – Gustav Holst
    “Hymns from the Rig Veda,” is transfigured by Conceptus with these arrangements from Timothy Collins. Drawing inspiration from ancient Sanskrit texts dating back to 1500 BCE, Holst’s solo vocal triumph offers a reverent exploration of Hindu philosophical thought. Experience the profound resonance of Holst’s sacred compositions as Conceptus breathes new life into these timeless hymns.

    Three Songs by Frank Bridge
    From the reflective tones of “Come To Me In My Dreams” to the mythological allure of “Love Went A-Riding,” Conceptus navigates the emotional depths of Bridge’s compositions with grace and finesse.

    Conceptus is an international, multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary ensemble with membership drawn from Germany, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland and Australia. Formed in 2021, the ensemble is dedicated to bringing new life to great works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and beyond, with a particular emphasis on Late Romantic British vocal music and song cycles.

    Conceptus has also commissioned works by award-winning German composer, organist and conductor Christoph Ritter, whose Requiem is set for a world premiere and recording in 2024. Conceptus Artistic Director, Scott Robert Shaw, released his acclaimed debut “The English Tenor” on Divine Art in 2023

  • Dreams Desires Desolation – English Song

    Dreams Desires Desolation – English Song

    Baritone Trevor Alexander and pianist Peter Crockford present an album celebrating English Song – art-songs by composers well and not-so-well known, and some of the best examples of what is often called the Parlour Ballad, so beloved of audiences in the early years of the 20th century.

    “Dreams, Desires, Desolation was created out of our love for English Song. The album comprises a real mixture of very familiar songs, along with some relatively unknown ones, and a few which were very popular in their day but have fallen out of fashion. There are also three world premiere recordings. We believe, despite the mixture of styles, each song brings something valid to our concept.”

  • Christopher Langdown Live in London

    Christopher Langdown Live in London

    This 2-CD set contains the whole of an acclaimed recital at the Wigmore Hall, London, on 9 June 2009 by the awesomely talented young British pianist Christopher Langdown, who gives phenomenal performances of Beethoven’s Tempest Sonata and other virtuoso works, as well as the world premiere of his own Deo Omnis Gloria, a very fine set of three neo-romantic pieces conceived in the late 19th-century style. This debut album shows yet another remarkable talent in the world of modern pianism.

  • Violin Songs

    Violin Songs

    From one of the UK’s most celebrated and accomplished violinists comes a recording of personal favourites in a recital of romantic and lyrical music par excellence. Madeleine Mitchell is enjoying a highly successful career in both recording and live recitals, and her first CD for Divine Art is a joyful celebration of her chosen instrument. With highly accomplished pianist Andrew Ball, and joined in Strauss’s “Morgen” by soprano Elizabeth Watts, winner of the 2007 Recital Prize at the Cardiff “Singer of the World” competition. Included is the first ever recording of the newly-discovered Morceau Caracteristique by Frank Bridge.