Bitter Ballads

24 tracks - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 120 Mb

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"Ancient and modern poetry set to medieval and traditional melodies," says the subtitle to this disc and it's not as unusual an idea as it might seem: fitting a pre-existing melody to new words, far from being an invention of television advertising, has been done at least since the Middle Ages. Baritone Paul Hillier has revived this practice, pairing troubadour and traditional tunes with poetry ranging from Sappho to Swift and Blake to Brecht. The effect is that of a polished folk song recital but with a more jaundiced tone: these really are "bitter ballads." Hillier's diction could be sharper (you may want to read the poems through before you listen), but his discerning choices and sensitive delivery, along with the exquisite playing of harpist Andrew Lawrence-King, make this innovative program fascinating and even moving."  Matthew Westphal

contents:

1 - Clever Tom Clinch Going to be Hanged

2 - The Roundhead

3 - London is a Fine Town

4 - London

5 - The Fine Old English Gentleman

6 - The Great Testament

7 - Highland Dance #1

8 - Kiltory

9 - Highland Dance #2

10 - Shallow-Water Warning

11 - Song for a Sea Tower

12 - The Ballad of Marie Farrar

13 - Senza Licenza

14 - Invention

15 - Fine Flowers in the Valley

16 - Sappho - Fragment

17 - The Keel Row I

18 - It Was Summer Now

19 - The Keel Row II

20 - Disillusionment

21 - The Cockfight

22 - Sailing to Byzantium

23 - Brigg Fair

24 - Coda from Brigg-Flatts

Paul Hillier, voice

Andrew Lawrence-King, harps, psaltery