Divine Art Records

Composer: Peter Warlock

  • 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

  • Peter Warlock: Collected 78rpm recordings (2CD)

    Peter Warlock: Collected 78rpm recordings (2CD)

    Philip Heseltine, aka Peter Warlock, was an enigma in many ways – song-writing and arranging genius; fine orchestrator – but also a political animal, bon-viveur and ultimately a self-absorbed depressive who took his own life. This 2 CD set comprises (with one exception) all the recordings of Warlock’s work issued on standard-groove records, between 1925 and 1951 – all lovingly collected by the late John Bishop, stalwart of the Peter Warlock Society, which has generously assisted with the production of this album whcih can be seen as a tribute to one of England’s most influential composers of the early 20th century. Detailed notes on the man and his music, and these recordings, are included. Performers include some of Britain’s finest of the age.

    The ‘missing’ item is a recording of ‘The Curlew’ by John Armstrong with the International String Quartet – this omission was not taken lightly, but would have required a 3rd CD making the set quite expensive – the recording is available via Pristine Audio

    TRACKS:

    Capriol Suite
    London Chamber Orch/Bernard
    Serenade for Strings
    NGS Chamber Orchestra/Barbirolli
    Purcell/Warlock: Fantaisie no. 3
    The Pasquier Trio
    Purcell/Warlock: 2-Part Fantasia no. 9
    The Griller String Quartet
    Capriol Suite (arr. Szigeti)
    Josef Szigeti & Nikita Magalov
    The Curlew
    Soames, Nielsen, Aeolian String Quartet
    Serenade for Strings
    Capriol Suite
    Constant Lambert String Orch. /Lambert
    Captain Stratton’s Fancy
    Peter Dawson
    Oh Good Ale;
    Flow not fast ye fountains; There is a garden; O eyes, O mortal stars; Come, my Celia
    John Goss
    Corpus Christi
    The English Singers
    Sleep; Chop Cherry
    John Armstrong/ International String Qt.
    The Fox; Sleep; Take o take those lips away; Sweet and Kind; As Ever I Saw; The Passionate Shepherd
    Parry Jones
    Corpus Christi
    Ann Jones, Peter Pears, BBC Chorus
    A Cornish Christmas Carol
    BBC Chorus/Woodgate
    Six Nursery Jingles
    Cecil Cope
    Milkmaids; Captain Stratton’s Fancy; Sigh no More; Pretty Ring Time; Passing By; My Own Country; Fair and True; Piggesnie
    Roy Henderson
    Sweet and Twenty; Sleep
    Nancy Evans
    Rest Sweet Nymphs
    Truro County Girls’ School Choir
    The First Mercy
    Billy Neeley
    Corpus Christi
    Flora Nielsen, Rene Soames, Festival Singers
    The Frostbound Wood; The Fox
    Dennis Noble
    Captain Stratton’s Fancy
    Oscar Natzke

  • Gossiana – A Tribute to John Goss

    Gossiana – A Tribute to John Goss

    Subtitled, “A 1920s anthology of song” this album is not filled only by music composed during the 1920s, but is made in tribute to one of Britain’s greatest, and now almost forgotten, singers: John Goss. At the height of his career in the 1920s, Goss was a close friend of Warlock, Moeran and other composers, and ahead of his time in giving mixed recitals, including all types of song from lieder to sea shanties. This is reflected in this CD. Giles Davies played Goss in a recent film directed by Tony Britten.