Composers killed in the First World War.

[vandermolen]

Time, perhaps, to revive this thread at least for a day or two.

Here is Farrar's 'English Pastoral Impressions' (1915):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jf3LYjkh0Q

I'd especially recommend the very poignant (in the circumstances) and beautiful 'Bredon Hill' from about five minutes in and an interesting contrast to Vaughan Williams's 'Bredon Hill' in 'On Wenlock Edge'. I think that Farrar's was a major talent, tragically cut short (he was killed a hundred years ago in 1918). He was the teacher of Finzi who was deeply affected by the loss.

There is a very fine Chandos CD featuring Farrar's music but it seems very expensive now (£96 on Amazon UK though less expensive on Amazon.com) so I thought that I'd post this extract.

Here is the 'Heroic Elegy' - about his last work (1918) I think:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ywxOZrz46JU

[Biffo]

Time, perhaps, to revive this thread at least for a day or two.

Here is Farrar's 'English Pastoral Impressions' (1915):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jf3LYjkh0Q

I'd especially recommend the very poignant (in the circumstances) and beautiful 'Bredon Hill' from about five minutes in and an interesting contrast to Vaughan Williams's 'Bredon Hill' in 'On Wenlock Edge'. I think that Farrar's was a major talent, tragically cut short (he was killed a hundred years ago in 1918). He was the teacher of Finzi who was deeply affected by the loss.

There is a very fine Chandos CD featuring Farrar's music but it seems very expensive now (£96 on Amazon UK though less expensive on Amazon.com) so I thought that I'd post this extract.

Here is the 'Heroic Elegy' - about his last work (1918) I think:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ywxOZrz46JU

Thanks for your reminder of this album.

I don't know where Amazon get their ludicrous prices from. The album is still available from Chandos as a lossless download for £9.99. If you have to have a CD Chandos will supply an Archive CDR for £13.25.

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%209586

[Irons]

Time, perhaps, to revive this thread at least for a day or two.

Here is Farrar's 'English Pastoral Impressions' (1915):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jf3LYjkh0Q

I'd especially recommend the very poignant (in the circumstances) and beautiful 'Bredon Hill' from about five minutes in and an interesting contrast to Vaughan Williams's 'Bredon Hill' in 'On Wenlock Edge'. I think that Farrar's was a major talent, tragically cut short (he was killed a hundred years ago in 1918). He was the teacher of Finzi who was deeply affected by the loss.

There is a very fine Chandos CD featuring Farrar's music but it seems very expensive now (£96 on Amazon UK though less expensive on Amazon.com) so I thought that I'd post this extract.

Here is the 'Heroic Elegy' - about his last work (1918) I think:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ywxOZrz46JU

Looking at this earlier this week  http://www.michaeldrislane.com/2014/08/25/composers-who-died-in-wwi/ beside Butterworth and Gurney, Farrar was the only name I had heard of. Thanks for posting the links, I have not listened to "Heroic Elegy yet but thought "English Pastoral Impressions" lovely. The juxtaposition of this peaceful and pastoral music and the horror of the Western Front is jaw-dropping.

[vandermolen]

Looking at this earlier this week  http://www.michaeldrislane.com/2014/08/25/composers-who-died-in-wwi/ beside Butterworth and Gurney, Farrar was the only name I had heard of. Thanks for posting the links, I have not listened to "Heroic Elegy yet but thought "English Pastoral Impressions" lovely. The juxtaposition of this peaceful and pastoral music and the horror of the Western Front is jaw-dropping.

Thanks for the link which reminded me of W. Denis Browne, who composed perhaps my favourite song 'To Gratiana, dancing and singing'. Ursula Vaughan Williams thought it even superior to any of her husband's songs. Here it is, in a recording I had never hear before sung by Wilfred Brown who recorded the best ever version of Finzi's 'Dies Natalis':

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BPjpe0aZZrQ

[vandermolen]

Thanks for your reminder of this album.

I don't know where Amazon get their ludicrous prices from. The album is still available from Chandos as a lossless download for £9.99. If you have to have a CD Chandos will supply an Archive CDR for £13.25.

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%209586

Thanks very much Biffo. Fortunately I bought the original album when it first came out.

[Biffo]

Thanks very much Biffo. Fortunately I bought the original album when it first came out.

I have the CD but can't remember whether I bought it as a new issue or it came to me in a Chandos Mystery Box. Currently, Chandos have a CD sale of deleted titles, mostly at £2.50 each. Discs of Holst, Bliss and Philips arrived this morning.

[vandermolen]

I have the CD but can't remember whether I bought it as a new issue or it came to me in a Chandos Mystery Box. Currently, Chandos have a CD sale of deleted titles, mostly at £2.50 each. Discs of Holst, Bliss and Philips arrived this morning.

Very interesting! Thanks.

[vandermolen]

Turned on Radio 3 this morning to hear the last part of Farrar's 'Heroic Elegy' which was poignant.

[Irons]

Thanks for the link which reminded me of W. Denis Browne, who composed perhaps my favourite song 'To Gratiana, dancing and singing'. Ursula Vaughan Williams thought it even superior to any of her husband's songs. Here it is, in a recording I had never hear before sung by Wilfred Brown who recorded the best ever version of Finzi's 'Dies Natalis':

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BPjpe0aZZrQ

What a voice! Many thanks.

[vandermolen]

What a voice! Many thanks.

My pleasure!

Very appropriate for today I think.

[vandermolen]

Although Bliss survived the trenches of World War One his brother did not. Morning Heroes was written in 1930 to expiate survivor's guilt and nightmares of the trenches:
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