Birthday Madrigals was written at the invitation of Brian Kay, conductor of the Cheltenham Bach Choir, to celebrate the seventy-fifth birthday of the great jazz pianist George Shearing. The first performance was given, in his presence, in Cheltenham Town Hall on June 3, 1995 by the Cheltenham Bach Choir with Neil Swainson (double bass), John Rutter conducting. The seed of the composition was 'It was a lover and his lass,' witten in 1975. The other four movements, their texts also drawn from the madrigal era (hence the work's title), were added in 1995 to make the present choral suite.

Songlist: It Was A Lover And His Lass, Draw On, Sweet Night, Come Live With Me, My True Love Hath My Heart, When Daisies Pied

This collection is sixth in a series of musical settings of lyrics to songs in Shakespeare's plays. This grouping opens with When Daisies Pied, in a colorful madrigalian style, followed by the more ominous Fear No More, and concluding with the sprightly Where the Bee Sucks, There Suck I. Duration: ca. 7:30.

Songlist: Fear No More, When Daisies Pied, Where The Bee Sucks

An excellent collection of 34 songs, especially useful in teaching students. This collection is a good alternative or companion to the standard Baroque Italian songs and arias. Now with recorded accompaniments on included CD by pianist Laura Ward.

Songlist: Have You Seen But a White Lily Grow?, Pastime With Good Company, Willow Song, Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind, O Come, O Come, My Dearest, Thou Soft Flowing Avon, When Daisies Pied, Whither Runneth My Sweetheart, Tell Me No More, Fair, If You Expect Admiring, Jack and Joan, Flow My Tears, Weep You No More, Sad Fountains, What If I Never Speed?, Since First I Saw Your Face, The Silver Swan, Come and Trip It, Here Amid the Shady Woods, Let Me Wander Not Unseen, Where E'er You Walk, Fain Would I Change That Note, As I Walked Forth One Summer Day, In Sherwood Lived Stout Robin Hood, How Happy Art Thou, It Was a Lover and His Lass, My Lovely Celia, Diaphenia, Rest Sweet Nymphs, Hark! The Echoing Air, I Attempt from Love's Sickness, and more

An excellent collection of 34 songs, especially useful in teaching students. This collection is a good alternative or companion to the standard Baroque Italian songs and arias. Now with recorded accompaniments on included CD by pianist Laura Ward.

Songlist: Have You Seen But a White Lily Grow?, Pastime With Good Company, Willow Song, Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind, O Come, O Come, My Dearest, Thou Soft Flowing Avon, When Daisies Pied, Whither Runneth My Sweetheart, Tell Me No More, Fair, If You Expect Admiring, Jack and Joan, Flow My Tears, Weep You No More, Sad Fountains, What If I Never Speed?, Since First I Saw Your Face, The Silver Swan, Come and Trip It, Here Amid the Shady Woods, Let Me Wander Not Unseen, Where E'er You Walk, Fain Would I Change That Note, As I Walked Forth One Summer Day, In Sherwood Lived Stout Robin Hood, How Happy Art Thou, It Was a Lover and His Lass, My Lovely Celia, Diaphenia, Rest Sweet Nymphs, Hark! The Echoing Air, I Attempt from Love's Sickness, and more

Strong, stirring spirituals and tuneful, jazz-flavored settings of Shakespeare's timeless lyrics are the mouth-watering ingredients of the Cambridge Singers' eagerly-awaited new album Feel the Spirit. John Rutter has written vivid new arrangements of seven well-loved American spirituals for choir, with soloist Melanie and the BBC Concert Orchestra joining with the Cambridge Singers for this world premiere recording. Another notable 'first' is jazz legend George Shearing's captivating new cycle of Shakespeare settings, Songs and Sonnets. Those who associate George Shearing with instrumental jazz (and of course with his immortal Lullaby of Birdland) will be astonished and delighted at the youthful charm and skillful word-setting of this 81-year old master's choral writing. The final touch of sparkle is added by Proms favorite Wayne Marshall's piano, with Malcolm Creese on bass. To complete the album, John Rutter's own Birthday Madrigals - written in 1995 to celebrate George Shearing's 75th birthday - also receives their premiere recording.

Songlist: Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho, Steel Away, I Got A Robe, Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child, Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit, Deep River, When The Saints Go Marching In, Live With Me And Be My Love, When The Daffodils Begen To Peer, It Was A Lover And His Lass, Spring, Who Is Silvia, Fie On Sinful Fantasy, Hey, Ho, The Wind And The Rain, The Heavenly Aeroplane, Lord Of The Dance, It Was A Lover And His Lass, Draw On Sweet Night, Come Live With Me, My True Love Hath My Heart, When Daisies Pied, Skylark

Conductor and composer John Rutter has worked in many facets of music, but is best known for his work in the choral realm. On this recording his work is interpreted by the Nordic Chamber Choir led by Nicol Matt. This dynamic CD shows the stylistic and subject variety found in Rutter's music. The first set of five sacred pieces includes the amazingly beautiful wedding song, "I my Best-Beloved's am," which combines sacred Latin texts with an English love poem, the jubilant "Cantate Domino" and virtuosic "Deck the hall." The set of Birthday Madrigals, written for jazz pianist George Shearing combine madrigal era texts in very jazzy settings, three of them include double-bass. The recording is rounded out with five settings of traditional songs and five childhood lyrics.

Songlist: Five sacred Pieces:, I my Best Beloved's am, Cantate Domino, Musica Dei Donum, Deck the Hall, Hymn to the Creator of Light, Birthday Madrigals:, It was a lover and his lass, Draw on, sweet night, Come live with me, My true love hath my heart, When daisies pied, Five traditional Songs:, The girl I left behind me, O waly, waly, The British Grenadiers, Golden slumbers, Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron, Five Childhood Lyrics:, Monday's child, The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, Windy nights, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Sing A Song Of Sixpence