Marcus Farnsworth baritone
Alison Rose soprano
Martin Bussey conductor
RESONUS RES10350
Peter of Bologna (c1260-1332), Suffragan Bishop of Corbavia (in Croatia) ministered across Europe and spent the last 15 years of his life in England. He dedicated Pinner Parish Church in Middlesex in 1321. He is the brother in Bussey’s work A Brother Abroad which was commissioned to celebrate the mark the 700th anniversary of that event in 2021.
The text is by Anthony Pinching and the work is scored for baritone, flute (doubling on piccolo), horn and timpani and other percussion. It was written for Marcus Farnsworth, who sings with great expression, excellent diction and with authority. The voice is dominant, and the instruments often just play wisps of melody around the voice; the whole texture is economic. Bussey calls it a cantata and its six movements last about 24 minutes.
Also on the disc are songs by Bussey, one group of five gathered together under the title Children of Adam (poems by Walt Whitman) and the other four collected together as A Chainless Soul (poems by Emily Bronté). The latter cycle is sung by soprano Alison Rose whose diction is not as clear as Farnsworth’s.
Most of the accompaniments to these songs rely on repeated chords, most notably in When lilacs last in dooryard bloomed, although Joy, shipmate, joy has a lively piano accompaniment. The spare accompaniment to The Mystic Trumpeter is suitably apt, and the final song on the disc, No coward soul is mine (a six-minute number) is suitably dramatic. Bussey’s programme notes are helpful as he gives us background to the writing of each song.
Two solo pieces, one each for flute and horn also feature, and they are melodically related to the cantata.
Review by Ronald Corp