Notes and Editorial Reviews
The Oxford choir’s tone agreeably combines the clarity of King’s, Cambridge, with the warmer, ‘continental’ sound of St John’s. Many of these arrangements require virtuoso control and are effortlessly delivered.
The Choir of New College, Oxford, has been doing top-selling business with ‘concept’ albums, and Early One Morning is the latest example. Classic folksong arrangements by Vaughan Williams, Grainger, Bairstow and Heathcote Statham merge seamlessly with modern versions by Gordon Jacob, the choir’s director Edward Higginbottom, and a racy ‘O no John!’ by Louis Halsey.
The Oxford choir’s tone agreeably combines the clarity of King’s, Cambridge, with the warmer, ‘continental’ sound of
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neighbouring St John’s; for all the simplicity of the original folksongs, many of these arrangements (all unaccompanied) require virtuoso control and are effortlessly delivered. Scottish folk will surely forgive the unintentional hilarity of the dialect words in ‘The Bonny Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond’ being pronounced in impeccable English cathedral cherub style. From this basket of cherries I would pull out ‘Linden Lea’, a reminder of the idiomatic mastery of Vaughan Williams, to whom, with Cecil Sharp and Percy Grainger, we are all indebted for collecting and preserving so many of these folksongs.
-- Graeme Kay, BBC Music Magazine
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Works on This Recording
1.
Blow the wind southerly by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 2 Minutes 36 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: John Cameron
2.
Early one morning by Traditional
Performer:
Nicholas Fuggle (Boy Soprano),
Eamonn Dougan (Baritone)
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 1 Minutes 59 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Edward Higginbottom
3.
Irish Tune from County Derry "Danny Boy" by Percy Aldridge Grainger
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1913; England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 3 Minutes 58 Secs.
Language: English
4.
The Minstrel Boy by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: Ireland
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 1 Minutes 45 Secs.
Language: English
5.
Linden Lea by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1901; England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 3 Minutes 9 Secs.
Language: English
6.
Down by the Salley Gardens by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: Ireland
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 3 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Edward Higginbottom
7.
Brigg Fair by Percy Aldridge Grainger
Performer:
Philip Cave (Tenor)
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1906/1911; England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 2 Minutes 51 Secs.
Language: English
8.
Loch Lomond by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1921; England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 3 Minutes 36 Secs.
Language: English
9.
Shenandoah by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: USA
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 3 Minutes 45 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: James Erb
10.
Oh! No, John by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 2 Minutes 36 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Louis Halsey
11.
Sumer is icumen in by Anonymous
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: Medieval
Written: 1240; England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 1 Minutes 9 Secs.
Language: English
12.
O waly, waly by Traditional
Performer:
Eamonn Dougan (Baritone),
Roderick Morris (Boy Soprano)
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 2 Minutes 54 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Edward Higginbottom
13.
Skye Boat Song by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: Scotland
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 4 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Heathcote Statham
14.
Steal away to Jesus by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: USA
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 4 Minutes 6 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Brian Trant
15.
Fantasia on Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1934; England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 5 Minutes 4 Secs.
Language: English
16.
The oak and the ash by Edward Bairstow
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: 20th Century
Written: England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: English
17.
The Ash Grove by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: Wales, UK
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 2 Minutes 38 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Gordon Jacob
18.
My love is like a red, red rose by Traditional
Performer:
Ben Hulett (Tenor)
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Written: Scotland
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 3 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: John Cameron
19.
Swing low, sweet chariot by Traditional
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 2 Minutes 46 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: H.T. Burleigh and N.C. Page
20.
Kerry Dance by James L. Molloy
Conductor:
Edward Higginbottom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Oxford New College Choir
Period: Romantic
Written: England
Date of Recording: 1997
Venue: New College Chapel, Oxford, England
Length: 4 Minutes 6 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Alex Rowley
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