Partitions de Novello & Co Ltd. pour Voix Mezzo-Soprano, Piano

Version for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano. Commissioned jointly by BBC Radio 3 and the Royal Philharmonic Society as part of the New Generation artists scheme. The texts for the work were taken from the Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes.

The Good-morrow which was written in 1971 is a setting for mezzo-soprano and piano of five poems by John Donne. These are not songs in the closed sense: the settings deliberately blur one poem into the next so as to form a little musical drama about a passionate but light-hearted love-affair. The model for this piece was the beautiful song-cycle The voice of love (1966) by Nicholas Maw who was my teacher from 1968 until 1971 and whose influence upon my development was both strong and fruitful. My debt to Maw (who died in 2009) is great and this song-cycle was my grateful acknowledgement of it. The Good-morrow was first performed in 1986 at the Purcell Room London by Linda Hibberd and Giles Swayne.1. I wonder by my troth2. 'Tis true 'tis day3. Come live with me and be my love4. So so breake off this last lamenting kiss5. Now thou hast lov'd me one whole day

Par GREGSON EDWARD. The five song set the texts As I pass at dusk (Robert Kent), The day is gone (John Keats), Carol (C Day Lewis), Come live with me (C Day Lewis), and To my brother (Siegfried Sassoon). Also available for Baritone or High Voice. / Musique contemporaine / Répertoire / Mezzo-Soprano et Piano

At the Court Of The Poisoned Rose-Programme Note: The song At the Court of the Poisoned Rose was commissioned by the countertenor James Huw-Jeffries. It is based upon a long prose poem by the Scottish poetess Marion Angus (1866-1946). Published under the title of Alas! Poor Queen the poem narrates the tragic story of the life of Mary Queen of Scots who was manipulated by the political ambitions of those around her. Given the work?s length and sectional nature the song is more akin to a ?Dramatic Scena?. The music opens mysteriously setting a nostalgic atmosphere that seeks to mirror the queen?s confinement and sense of resignation. This is followed by acontrasting section that conveys her love of life?s trivialities and her capricious nature ? it is quicker in tempo. These two ideas are subsequently developed and reshaped. At the words ?she rode through Liddesdale with a song? I have adapted an aire by the Elizabethan composer Philip Rosseter and interpolated material from the previous sections. The emotional climax of the work comes on the poignant words ?Queens should be cold and wise?. In spite of this the lighthearted and earthly bound music returns reminding us that the Queen only ?loved little things and red-legged partridges and the golden fishes of the Duc de Guise?. - Ian Venables Duration: c. 6 minutes