The songs of A Garland for de la Mare are vintage Howells in their refinement harmonic subtleties and dreamlike quality. And although the cover says that there are ten songs in this set the songbook comprises thirteen songs including two versions of Before Dawn.Herbert Howells is a giant of 20th century Anglican church music the remainder of whose oeuvre is in the process of gaining new appreciation. He was a sensitive composer for Voice and among the very best of his songs are these settings of verses by Walter de la Mare a personal friend. Howells had frequently discussed the publication of A Garden for de la Mare with Christopher Palmer (author of the major study ofthe composer’s life) but Palmer died prior to publication and Michael Pilkington saw the project through to completion.

The words for Panis Angelicus form an extract taken from St Thomas Aquinas’s hymn Sacris solemniis and frequently treated as a separate hymn. Of the many settings César Franck’s from 1872 is the best known.He included it in his Messe á Trois Voix for Tenor Harp Cello and Organ some years after that piece was written. Of all the works by Franck the Panis Angelicus with its serene meditative Vocal line and restrainedaccompaniment is the best known and certainly the most frequently recorded in all Voices and in many arrangements.

A student of Gabriel Fauré and Louis Verne at the Paris Conservatoire Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) owes her aura to an exceptional teaching career spanning nearly 75 years during which she trained the most illustrious musicians from Copland to Glass not to forget Bernstein or Gardiner. In the past few years her creative work long considered negligible has finally been escaping from oblivion thanks to the untiring work of the Centre Nadia et Lili Boulanger directed by Alexandra Laederich. It is at her instigation that the publication of Nadia Boulanger's songs has continued in chronological order: after a first collection (HA 9725)devoted to the youthful works brought out during her lifetime by the publisher Hamelle the second volume presented here exclusively features unpublished works. First of all it contains three Romantic mélodies in German on poems by Heine – a surprising choice given that the composer felt more attracted by Symbolist poetry. This is attested to by the other songs in the collection on verses by Paul Verlaine Maurice Maeterlinck and Georges Delaquys three poets who were part of the literary pantheon of Nadia and her sister Lili. One will discover treasures of refinement and sensitivity in their musical settings.

Dedications-This set includes To Daffodils To the Virgins (‘Gather ye rosebuds while ye may’) To The Willow Tree To Music and To Phillis in a changing palette of musical colours.Twentieth century English composer singer and actress Madeleine Dring wrote songs that frequently employed jazz chords in their accompaniment which has been compared in the US to Gershwin though these warmly lighthearted songs recall English baroque style in some of their Vocal lines and rhythms. The accompaniment is melodic and tonal with many subtle freedoms in the harmonies.

Johannes Brahms's Complete Songs - Volume 1 comes packed with 51 songs from the famous composers impressive repertoire. Includes the works Alte Liebe Op. 72 No. 1 Am Sonntag Morgen Op. 49 No. 1 An den Mond Op. 71

Poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire. Création à Créteil, paroisse saint-Christophe par le Choeur Polyvoce sous la direction de Véronique Genissel, le 21 novembre 2015. Durée : 15 minutes environ. / Choeur Mixte