IRELAND – The Songs
Lyrita –SRCD 2261 – Recorded 1972 to 1978 - 3 CDs – 183 mins These three CDs contain “all those songs which it is thought the composer would have wished to preserve” (Geoffrey Bush, Musical Adviser to the John Ireland Trust). Considerable care has obviously been taken to group them loosely by mood or subject matter, and within those groups in chronological order. The result gives the listener an insight both into the very wide ranging poems that Ireland set to music, and his progression as a composer. Benajmin Luxon is the singer on two of the three CDs and his rich baritone and superb artistry when it comes to song are demonstrated to the full. Every word is fully discernible and suitably weighted and he colours his voice perfectly to suit the mood. There’s a tang of Cornish accent to salt the seafaring songs, wistful longing for the love song’s, devout simplicity for the several dealing with prayer and an echo of WW1 horror for Blow out you Bugles. John Mitchinson and Alfreda Hodgeson give equally pleasurable performances on the third CD and Alan Rowlands proves himself a sensitive pianist throughout. This is one of those recording sets which can rightfully be called a “classic” which will give delight for many more years. The booklet contains comprehensive notes and the full text of every song. Serena Fenwick
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