POSTON, E.: Carols and Anthems (St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir, Lay Clerks of St Albans Cathedral, O. Morrell, Winpenny)

Elizabeth Poston’s long and distinguished career included significant work for the BBC during the Second World War, where she performed as a respected pianist and later composed scores for numerous radio and television productions. Describing herself as ‘a littlemonger’ who never wanted to write big pieces, Poston’s supreme talent for composing vocal and choral miniatures is fully represented in this recording, the first to be dedicated entirely to her work. Poston’s music reveals timeless melodic charm, a great sensitivity of word setting and her profound appreciation of ancient folk-song traditions.

Tracklist

Traditional
Poston, Elizabeth - Arranger
Traditional - Lyricist
Yeo, Ciaran (bass)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
1The Boar's Head Carol (arr. E. Poston for choir)03:08
Yeo, Ciaran (bass)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Traditional
O'Connor, John - Lyricist
Poston, Elizabeth - Lyricist
Poston, Elizabeth - Arranger
Traditional - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
2O Bethlehem (arr. E. Poston for choir as 2 Carols in Memory of Peter Warlock: No. 2)02:37
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Traditional
Poston, Elizabeth - Arranger
Poston, Elizabeth - Lyricist
Traditional - Lyricist
O'Connor, John - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
3Praise our Lord (arr. E. Poston for choir and organ as 2 Carols in Memory of Peter Warlock: No. 1)01:43
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
4Jesus Christ the Apple Tree03:39
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Traditional - Lyricist
Tiller, Terence - Lyricist
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Martin-Smith, Oliver (tenor)
Blain, Izzi (alto)
McPhee, Alexandra (soprano)
Mullis, Roger (narrator)
Yeo, Ciaran (bass)
Klemming, Selma (soprano)
Ardeshna, Alisha (narrator)
5This is the truth sent from above (Female Narrator, Chorus) [Herefordshire folk carol, collected R. Vaughan Williams]01:44
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
6O Joseph being an old man truly (Female Narrator, Chorus) [Herefordshire folk tune, collected R. Vaughan Williams]01:58
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
7And while they lived in joy and bliss - Angelus ad Virginem (Male Narrator, Chorus, Angel, Mary) [13th century, Dublin Troper Manuscripts, transcribed by D.A. Hughes]05:02
Martin-Smith, Oliver (tenor)
Blain, Izzi (alto)
McPhee, Alexandra (soprano)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
8Spoken Carol: I sing of a Maiden (Male Narrator) [15th century, Sloane Manuscript]00:50
Mullis, Roger (narrator)
9Scena: Joseph and Mary walked (Male Narrator, Mary, Joseph, The Unborn Child, Angel, Female Narrator, Chorus) [Herefordshire folk tune; Traditional tune from a broadside]05:16
Martin-Smith, Oliver (tenor)
McPhee, Alexandra (soprano)
Yeo, Ciaran (bass)
Klemming, Selma (soprano)
Blain, Izzi (alto)
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
10As Joseph was a-walking (Male Narrator, Angel, Female Narrator, Chorus) [Traditional Cornish tune, adapted]03:16
Martin-Smith, Oliver (tenor)
Blain, Izzi (alto)
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
11There is no rose of such virtue (Chorus) [15th century, Cambridge Manuscript]02:03
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
12I saw a fair maiden sitten and sing - Jesu, sweet son (Male Narrator, Chorus, Mary) [15th century, adapted, Harleian Manuscript]02:58
Martin-Smith, Oliver (tenor)
McPhee, Alexandra (soprano)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
13Spoken Carol: A lovely lady thus did sing (Female Narrator) [14th century, adapted, Oxford Manuscript]01:25
Ardeshna, Alisha (narrator)
14Qui creavit coelum (Chorus) [c. 1425, Chester Manuscript]03:17
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
15Christo paremus cantica (Chorus) [15th century, Harleian Manuscript]02:20
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Wolff, Mary Madeleva - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
16Sheepfolds (version for choir and piano)01:37
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Wedderburn, James - Lyricist
Wedderburn, John - Lyricist
Wedderburn, Robert - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
17Balulalow01:58
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Pepler, Hilary Douglas Clark - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
18The Dormouse's Carol (version for choir and piano)02:05
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
Blain, Izzi (alto)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
19Carol: Salve Jesus, little lad05:48
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
Blain, Izzi (alto)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Poston, Elizabeth
Farjeon, Eleanor - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
20The Princesses' Carol (version for choir and organ)02:12
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Wolff, Mary Madeleva - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
21In Bethlehem Town (version for choir and organ)01:38
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Bible - Old Testament - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
22Sing unto the Lord03:32
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
23The Queen of Sheba's Song: It was a true report…02:22
Vinther, Nina (mezzo-soprano)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
24Happy are thy Men (version for choir and organ)02:29
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Bible - Old Testament - Lyricist
Briggs, George Wallace - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
25Song of Wisdom, "Pavane, Passacaglia and Descant on Gosterwood" (version for choir and organ)07:53
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Bible - Old Testament - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
26Antiphon: It came even to pass02:35
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
27Psalm: Laudate Dominum: O praise God in his holiness02:04
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)

Total Playing Time: 01:17:29