Price: £10.00
Item code: MM117| Lachrymae—In Memoriam John Dowland for High Voice and String Orchestra |
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| Date of composition | 1967 |
| Opus number | 23b |
| Type of work | Concert music |
| Duration | 15 mins |
| Musical forces | High Voice and String Orchestra |
| Words | Various |
| First performance | 15th July 1967 |
| First performance information | Jack Irons (tenor) with the strings of the Bromley Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Coulling, Swanley |
| Publisher | Modus Music |
| Notes | Movements are: 1. Prelude; 2. Song 1: Madrigal; 3. Interlude I; 4. Song 2: The Moon; 5. Intrlude II; 6. Song 3: The Open Door; 7. Interlude III; 8. Song 4: The Sick Rose; 9. Interlude IV; 10. Song 5: Sonnet; 11. Postlude |
| Listen… COMMERCIAL RECORDING Ian Partridge, Tenor • Britten Sinfonia conducted by Nicholas Cleobury |
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| I: Prelude—II: Song 1: Madrigal—III: Interlude I—IV: Song 2: The Moon |
| V: Interlude II—VI: Song 3: The Open Door |
| VII: Interlude III—VIII: Song 4: The Sick Rose |
| IX: Interlude IV—X: Song 5: Sonnet—XI: Postlude |
| From the CD Carey Blyton: Lyrics from the Chinese |
| Listen… HISTORIC RECORDING Jack Irons, Tenor • Guildhall School of Music & Drama Chamber Orchestra conducted by Peter Wishart Recorded at a concert in the Dartford Rural District Arts Festival, 4th April 1970 |
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| I: Prelude—II: Song 1: Madrigal—III: Interlude I—IV: Song 2: The Moon |
| V: Interlude II—VI: Song 3: The Open Door |
| VII: Interlude III—VIII: Song 4: The Sick Rose |
| IX: Interlude IV—X: Song 5: Sonnet—XI: Postlude |
| We apologise for the poor sound quality; the original recording was made on low-grade cassette tape. |
Reviews
…attractive talent; there are nice ideas and tidy handling.
—The Financial Times, 15th January 1963
…Blyton shows a great deal of skill in using these forces to keen dramatic effect. Certainly a ‘must’ for an English music programme.
—Richard Terry, The Croydon Advertiser, 22nd June 1967
Carey Blyton uses fine musical expression to convey the emotional content of the poetry.
—Jennifer Anderson, Dartford Reporter, 23th June 1967
…throughout, the writing for the voice is masterly. The style is terse and civilised … this highly professional score.
—Norman Harvey, Kentish Times, 23th June 1967
…the piece was well-written. Within the prevailing bitterness of mood determined by the texts there were sufficient contrasts of tempo and texture to keep it alive, with effective dance-rhythms in the third song.
—The Times Educational Supplement, 23th June 1967
The “Chines Lyrics”, as the songs of “Lachrymae”, possess enormous popular appeal because they have good, strong, virile melodies … Mr Blyton scored an immediate success at Nottingham … many in the audience demanded an immediate encore of the “Chinese Lyrics”.
—Richard Terry, The Croydon Advertiser, 27th July 1967
Especially in the setting of words to music, Blyton’s economy of style and use of accompaniment always heightens the drama or lyricism of the words themselves…
—David Mottley, The Croydon Advertiser, 9th April 1970
…the craftsmanship and sensitivity of this composer made this work agreeable to the ear…
—Norman Harvey, Kentish Times, 10th April 1970
I have no doubt that these two song-cycles [Lyrics from the Chinese and Lachrymae—In Memoriam John Dowland] for voice and strings are Carey’s masterpieces. They have a magic about them that glows from every bar and the word settings truly illuminate the poems.