The Silver Hound: Songs by Betty Roe
Betty Roe is quite a phenomenon – unknown to most people! Composer of six operas, orchestral works and light music for theater and cabaret, her first love is art-song of which she has produced over 300 examples. Her style is eclectic, ranging from the serious to the comical, displaying a wonderful wit as well as a firm grasp of vocal writing and a way of providing music that seems totally at one with the texts; and at the age of 87, she remains a major force in the music world. In 2011 she was awarded the MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to classical music and composition.
This program of songs composed over the last 30 years is a delight and features top British and Irish soloists Sarah Leonard and Anne Marie Sheridan (sopranos), Robin Tritschler (tenor) and Stephen Varcoe (baritone) with Nigel Foster, English Song-accompanist extraordinaire (today’s Gerald Moore) at the piano. In several items obbligato French horn (Daniel Beer – the composer’s grandson), recorder (Emma Murphy) or violin (Madeleine Mitchell) add to the texture.
This is the first recording of these songs and is produced in co-operation with the Betty Roe Society.
Track Listing
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All composed by Betty Roe
- I Know a Bank (3:04)
- In a Garden (3:37) Two Garden Songs
- I. In this lone, open glade (6:50)
- II. The Critic (2:50)
- Magnificat (3:43)
- The Silver Hound (12:24)
- The Fair Singer (3:04) Three Songs for Graham
- I. The Dream House (2:31)
- II. The Promising Gardener (2:12)
- III. Scooting (2:16)
- Diva's Lament (3:20) Three Hardy Conversations
- I. A Wife Waits (2:25)
- II. Father Dunman's Funeral (1:39)
- III. The Orphaned old Maid (2:12)
- The Life that I Have (2:43)
- Autumn's Legacy (3:50) Three Celtic Songs
- I. A Cradle Song (2:18)
- II. A Boy's Song (1:49)
- III. The Fiddler of Dooney (2:59)
Reviews
“Roe’s songs are almost defiantly, aggressively tonal and folk-like, like paintings by Grandma Moses popping up at an exhibition of dour minimalist artists. Stephen Varcoe lavishes crisp diction… Varcoe and the soprano Anne Marie Sheridan are ideally characterful. Robin Tritschler… is convincingly romantic.
” —Benjamin Ivry
“Roe sets words beautifully naturally. I ended up absolutely captivated. A superb recording, with excellent placement of voices and instruments in the sound picture, seals the deal.
” —Colin Clarke
“Betty Roe is an unsung heroine of British music, a very gifted composer. Here is a wonderfully-performed and excellent-recorded album of no fewer than 19 of her song settings… most welcome to the point where one hopes it will lead to more performances and recordings of music of such inherent and genuine quality.
” —Robert Matthew-Walker
“[The Soloists] are solidly supported by the good pianist Nigel Foster. The 19 songs on this recording were chosen from a total of three hundred. Roe always lets the chosen text flow into the composition. She creates settings aligned to the subjects of her texts and also uses unusual subjects for her songs.
” —Uwe Krusch
“There’s something charmingly dated about this collection of songs from Roe. It’s a varied and interesting collection. The topics of the songs vary, though she seems to favour nature. Roe is also not afraid of mundane topics, whether it’s gardening or buses. Charming and very English, this is an entertaining set of songs.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“This new release on Metier is a welcome addition to the abundant and ever increasing discography of English song. Featuring a host of exceptional artists, , the disc is excellently recorded and balanced. . From the serious to the humorous, Roe shows herself a master of word-setting with thoughtful complementary accompaniment. . Tuneful and engaging, many of her songs deserve to be heard more frequently.
” —Andrew King
“[Roe’s] style is eclectic, ranging from the serious to the comical, displaying a wonderful wit as well as a firm grasp of vocal writing and a way of providing music that seems totally at one with the texts. [The album] is a delight. These excellent premiere recordings were produced in co-operation with the Betty Roe Society.
” —John Pitt
“The songs on this CD are wide-ranging and often involve various combinations of voices and instrumentalists. There are detailed biographies of the performers. The texts of all the songs are included. The CD is well-produced with splendid sound quality and convincing performances from all the artists
” —John France
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