Three Shakespeare Songs
1: Tell
me, where is fancy bred
2: Come
away, death
3: Come
unto these yellow sands
These
three part-songs were written during my 2nd year at Cambridge in 1964. The first performance was given at a King's
College May Week concert in June 1965 by the King's Choir under Sir David
Willcocks, and they were the first work of mine to receive national attention
through several broadcasts and performances over the next 2 years. They were also the first important work of
mine to be published, so they have understandably retained a special place in
my affections. The music clearly reveals
many of my preoccupations at the time, and there are strong echoes of Vaughan
Williams, Britten, Tippett and the English madrigalists of the first Elizabethan
Age. But there are already features of
melody, harmony and structure which point forward to my more mature style.
"Tell
me, where is fancy bred" is dominated by bell-like sounds, an effect
which I have frequently returned to. The
texture is characterised by distinct contrasts of high and low voices, and by
the gradual combination of different thematic elements. "Come away, come away, death"
has much in common with the part-songs of Moeran and Finzi, and is a gentle
strophic setting of these poignant words.
"Come unto these yellow sands" is fleet of foot, in
keeping with the nimble character of the text, and tests the vocal agility of
the singers to the full.
© Christopher Brown 1993