SOMM RECORDINGS announces a major new recording of songs by Charles Villiers Stanford including the first complete recording of Songs of Faith and 12 first recordings of other distinctively vital songs. Songs of Love, Faith and Nonsense continues SOMM's widely acclaimed commitment to Stanford's music with baritone Roderick Williams, tenor James Way (making his SOMM debut) and pianist Andrew West throwing revealing new light on his gift for word setting and the variety of his responses to matters of emotional ardor, spiritual fervency and the sublime nonsense poems of Edward Lear. Setting poems by Tennyson and Walt Whitman, Songs of Faith demonstrates Stanford's ability to give unique expression to the profound and the arcane with music of dramatic force and harmonic ingenuity. Three songs by Robert Bridges (librettist for Stanford's oratorio Eden) and four songs from the opera Shamus O'Brien tap into Stanford's Irish roots to colorful and evocative effect. Composed to mark his 25th wedding anniversary and receiving it's first recording, The Triumph of Love sets five sonnets by his close cousin, Edmond Gore Alexander Holmes, in richly executed settings. The delightful Nonsense Rhymes taken from Edward Lear's inimitably playful, poignant and pointed limericks show a different side to Stanford, a "highly articulate, dry humor like many literary Irishmen of his era", as Jeremy Dibble says in his authoritative booklet notes.

Tracklist:

Songs Of Faith, Op. 97, Set 1: No. 1, Strong Son Of God
Songs Of Faith, Op. 97, Set 1: No. 2, God And The Universe
Songs Of Faith, Op. 97, Set 1: No. 3, Faith
Songs Of Faith, Op. 97, Set 2: No. 4, To The Soul
Songs Of Faith, Op. 97, Set 2: No. 5, Tears!
Songs Of Faith, Op. 97, Set 2: No. 6, Joy, Shipmate, Joy!
3 Songs Of Robert Bridges, Op. 43: No. 1, Since Thou, O Fondest And Truest
3 Songs Of Robert Bridges, Op. 43: No. 2, I Praise The Tender Flower
3 Songs Of Robert Bridges, Op. 43: No. 3, Say, O Say! Saith The Music
Shamus O'brien, Op. 61 (Excerpts): My Heart Is Thrall
Shamus O'brien, Op. 61 (Excerpts): Glengall
Shamus O'brien, Op. 61 (Excerpts): Ochone, When I Used To Be Young
Shamus O'brien, Op. 61 (Excerpts): I Love My Ould Ireland
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 1, The Hardy Norsewoman, Op. 365
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 2, The Compleat Virtuoso, Op. 366
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 3, The Absent Barber, Op. 367
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 4, The Cow And The Coward, Op. 368
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 5, Barkerolle, Op. 369 (1)
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 6, Dithyramb, Op. 370
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 7, The Generous Parishioner, Op. 371
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 8, Limmerich Ohne Worte, Op. 372
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 9, Boat Song, Op. 373
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 10, Nileinsamkeit, Op. 374
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 11, The Aquiline Snub, Op. 375
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 12, Tone Poem, Op. 376
Nonsense Rhymes: No 13, Gongdichtung, Op. 377
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 14, A Visit Of Elizabeth, Op. 378
5 Sonnets From "The Triumph Of Love", Op. 82: No. 1, O One Deep Sacred Outlet Of My Soul
5 Sonnets From "The Triumph Of Love", Op. 82: No. 2, Like As The Thrush In Winter
5 Sonnets From "The Triumph Of Love", Op. 82: No. 3, When In The Solemn Stillness Of The Night
5 Sonnets From "The Triumph Of Love", Op. 82: No. 4, I Think That We Were Children
5 Sonnets From "The Triumph Of Love", Op. 82: No. 5, O Flames Of Passion
Nonsense Rhymes: No. 5, Barkerolle, Op. 369 (2)

UPC: 748871062726
Label: Somm Recordings
Release Date: 1.22.21
Format: CD

Stanford / Williams / West - Songs of Faith Love (CD)