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
Traditional - Lyricist
Poston, Elizabeth - Arranger
Yeo, Ciaran (bass)
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
1 The 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
Traditional - Lyricist
Poston, Elizabeth - Lyricist
Poston, Elizabeth - Arranger
O'Connor, John - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
2 O 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
Traditional - Lyricist
O'Connor, John - Lyricist
Poston, Elizabeth - Arranger
Poston, Elizabeth - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
3 Praise 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)
4 Jesus Christ the Apple Tree 03:39
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)
5 This 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)
6 O 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)
7 And 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)
8 Spoken Carol: I sing of a Maiden (Male Narrator) [15th century, Sloane Manuscript] 00:50
Mullis, Roger (narrator)
9 Scena: 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)
10 As 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)
11 There 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)
12 I 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)
13 Spoken Carol: A lovely lady thus did sing (Female Narrator) [14th century, adapted, Oxford Manuscript] 01:25
Ardeshna, Alisha (narrator)
14 Qui 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)
15 Christo 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)
16 Sheepfolds (version for choir and piano) 01:37
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
Poston, Elizabeth
Wedderburn, John - Lyricist
Wedderburn, Robert - Lyricist
Wedderburn, James - Lyricist
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
Winpenny, Tom (piano)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
17 Balulalow 01:58
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)
18 The 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)
19 Carol: Salve Jesus, little lad 05:48
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)
20 The 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)
21 In 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)
22 Sing unto the Lord 03:32
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)
23 The 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)
24 Happy 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)
25 Song 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)
26 Antiphon: It came even to pass 02:35
St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir (Choir)
St Albans Cathedral Choir, Lay Clerks (Choir)
Morrell, Oliver (organ)
Winpenny, Tom (Conductor)
27 Psalm: Laudate Dominum: O praise God in his holiness 02:04
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