Divine Art Records

Genre: Vocal/Choral

  • 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

  • Sacred Hearts & Secret Music

    Sacred Hearts & Secret Music

    This CD stands on its own merits as an exceptional programme of early sacred music, transcribed for and performed by the etherially beautiful voices of Musica Secreta and Celestial Sirens. However, like their earlier CD (DDA 25062) it has an added rationale, as the ‘virtual sound-track’ to the superb new novel ‘Sacred Hearts’, by Sarah Dunant. The music on the CD refers directly to many of the scenes and events in the book, allowing the reader/listener to more fully absorb themselves into the ancient world and characters so wonderfully portrayed.

    ‘Sacred Hearts’ is published in the UK by Virago, and in the USA by Random House. The book and CD have been heavily featured in the media in the UK including BBC Radio ‘Woman’s Hour’, the South bank Festival and so on.

  • Haydn : Stabat Mater, Libera Me etc.

    Haydn : Stabat Mater, Libera Me etc.

    Haydn’s wonderful Stabat Mater is far less well known than those of Pergolesi and other composers; this recording made in Paris in 1978 was a pioneering version using reconstructed scores and revised by renowned musicologist and scholar H C Robbins Landon. Also included is the even rarer LIBERA ME, only discovered in the mid 20th century. The soloists are: ANNA MARIA BONDI (soprano), CLAUDIA EDER (mezzo), AXEL REICHARDT (tenor) and KÜRT KRATTINGER (bass) with the Choral Philippe Caillard.

    As bonus tracks, we include classic 1964 recordings of the 44th Symphony (Trauersinfonie) and the rare Double Concerto for Violin and Harpsichord, which features violinist Jacques Francis Manzone and harpsichordist Françoise Petit.

  • Apostle of Ireland – an Office for St. Patrick

    Apostle of Ireland – an Office for St. Patrick

    This disc is dedicated to Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, as is the music itself. With texts newly translated from the original sources, this is a programme of 15th century plainchant, genuinely originating in Ireland, recorded here for the first time after extensive scholarly research. A major addition to the early sacred music repertoire. Performed by Canty, the renowned female-voice ensemble of Cappella Nova, with William Taylor (clarsach).

    With full texts in Latin and English.

  • Alessandro Grandi: Motets in 5 Voices / Music from “Fallen”

    Alessandro Grandi: Motets in 5 Voices / Music from “Fallen”

    Alessandro Grandi is widely regarded as one of the finest composers from Italy in the early 17th century but his music itself is little known. This premiere recording of his 16 Motets for Five Voices rectifies that and demonstrates his extraordinary musical powers. Also on the CD are musical items from the soundtrack of the film/live/multimedia work “Fallen”, a collaboration between Musica Secreta and playwright Fiona Mackie.

    Also available by Musica Secreta: ‘Sacred Hearts Secret Music’ (DDA 25077).

  • Hugill: The Testament of Dr. Cranmer, etc

    Hugill: The Testament of Dr. Cranmer, etc

    Robert Hugill has established a reputation as a fine composer of sacred music, contemporary yet totally accessible and tonal. His extended works The Testament of Dr Cranmer, based on the speech given by Cranmer just before being burnt to death, and What is Man?, are joined by several shorter liturgical pieces all demonstrating Hugill’s distinctive style.

  • The Far Country – 26 English Songs

    The Far Country – 26 English Songs

    John Jeffreys was a 20th century British composer who specialised in music for solo voice and his songs, exemplified by this fine collection, are masterworks of the genre, directly in the tradition inherited from Moeran, Delius, Finzi, and especially Warlock. Beautifully performed by James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook these works are timeless and will have lasting appeal.

    Also see Northumberland and Beyond – songs by John Jeffreys on DDV 24128 and Idylls and Elegies – orchestral works on DDA 25082.

  • Fortmann: Requiem for an Unborn Child

    Fortmann: Requiem for an Unborn Child

    Three major works from the renowned Swiss composer Thomas Fortmann – including the first CD recording of his chamber works Ladyboy and Tango Catolico, which have been very popular in broadcast performances. In Requiem for an Unborn Child we hear a work which has received enormous acclaim in Europe – challenging, uncomfortable words, eclectic and distinctive yet completely accessible musical language which draws much upon the German music-theatre tradition of Weill and cabaret-song.

  • 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.

  • Villa-Lobos: Voice of Brazil

    Villa-Lobos: Voice of Brazil

    Tuneful, exotic, brilliant – the vocal music of Heitor Villa-Lobos encaptures the spirit of Brazil. This recital was recorded in 1972/3 and issued on 3 LP’s, one of which, including the Bachiana Brasileira, won the Grand Prix du Disque in 1973, and was also highly praised by the composer’s widow.

  • Forbidden Voices

    Forbidden Voices

    The composers on this disc are part of what is sometimes called “The Lost Generation” – those who because of their Jewish background were prevented from working, deported or imprisoned. While some, such as Korngold, were able to emigrate, Schulhoff, Ullmann and Haas all died in Nazi concentration camps. Much of their music has been re-discovered over the past few years, and this collection includes several world premiere recordings.

  • Moeran: The collected 78rpm recordings

    Moeran: The collected 78rpm recordings

    Though E.J. Moeran is one of the leading British composers of the 20th century,very little of his music was commercially recorded during his lifetime – this is all of it!
    This performance of the Symphony from 1942 is still widely regarded as the best version ever recorded.
    CD contains:
    String Trio in G major (recorded 1941)
    Jean Pougnet, Frederick Riddle, Anthony Pini
    Symphony in G minor (recorded 1942)
    The Halle Orchestra, conducted by Leslie Heward
    Songs:
    Diaphenia and The Sweet o’ the Year (recorded 1945)

    Heddle Nash (tenor)
    O Sweet fa’s the Eve (recorded 1925)
    Can’t you Dance the Polka? (recorded 1925)
    Sheep Shearing (recorded 1926)
    John Goss (baritone) & Cathedral Male Voice Quartet