Carols from Herefordshire

In 1920 Mrs Ella Mary Leather and Ralph Vaughan Williams jointly published “Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire”. Vaughan Williams arranged each of the carols twice: first, for unaccompanied choir (SATB); and second, for voice and piano.

The choral versions are recorded as a set in 2024 for the first time, coupled with the alternative settings for voice and piano, recorded in 2011.

The carols are performed with traditional words, not all of which follow the biblical canon, and they are by no means all about Christmas. As a consequence there are some unfamiliar carols and some new tunes for well-known carols.

In the first twelve tracks, William Vann directs the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square, in February 2024. Tracks 13 to 24 were recorded by bass-baritone Derek Welton, accompanied by pianist Iain Burnside at Potton Hall in 2011. Those tracks form part of a longer recital of folk-carols and folk-songs arranged by Vaughan Williams presented on ALBCD013 On Christmas Day.

Andrew Walton was the producer, and the engineers were Deborah Spanton and Mike Clements.

The conductor and pianist William Vann is recognised in particular for his acclaimed revivals of neglected works of British choral music and song and is Director of Music at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. His critically acclaimed recordings with the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea have included first recordings of works by Elgar, Holst and Vaughan Williams and his studio recordings of Parry’s Judith and Prometheus Unbound have been awarded a host of accolades, including Gramophone’s ‘Recording of the Month’.

The bass-baritone Derek Welton has established himself as a respected and versatile artist both on the concert platform and the opera stage, with a repertoire ranging from Bach and Handel to the present day. He is a regular guest at the great opera houses of London, Salzburg, Vienna, Bayreuth, Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Paris, Amsterdam and Chicago.

Iain Burnside is one of the UK’s best-known musicians. Iain has worked with a broad roster of international singers: Dame Margaret Price, Rosa Feola, Ailish Tynan, Joyce DiDonato, Lawrence Brownlee, Roderick Williams, and Bryn Terfel, among many others. He has recorded more than 60 CDs, often created around neglected composers, where his curatorial skills are displayed to the full. He is a great champion of young singers, playing a crucial role in introducing them to a wider audience.

The companion album, ALBCD063 A Christmas Fantasia, includes works by Vaughan Williams and a variety of his friends and pupils – and also includes three of these carols from Herefordshire.