Retrospect

Description

This new album of music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, the latest from the London Choral Sinfonia and Michael Waldron, features collaborators including violinist Jack Liebeck and tenor Andrew Staples. The collection includes works such as Vaughan Williams’ Violin Concerto; “In Windsor Forest,” adapted from the opera “Sir John in Love,” and “Prelude on Gibbons’ Song 13,” recently orchestrated for strings. Among these adaptations are Vaughan Williams’ own transcriptions of J.S. Bach’s works, including the “Giant” fugue and the chorale “Schmücke Dich,” reflecting his admiration for Bach’s music. The album contains poignant pieces like “Nothing is here for tears,” a somber response to the death of King George V, and “Land of our birth,” a tribute to the British victory in World War II. Highlighting string arrangements, including the seminal “Silent Noon,” arranged for strings by Owain Park, as well as world premieres, the album underscores Vaughan Williams’ musical adaptations and their connections to British heritage.