Fancies

Description

This album explores the secular works of John Rutter. Fancies is a cycle of six settings of Elizabethan poetry, described by the composer as ‘music for a summer’s evening.’ When Icicles Hang, another choral cycle with orchestra, is a winter piece, best known for its bitter-sweet setting of Shakespeare’s Blow, blow, thou winter wind. The Five Childhood Lyrics, for unaccompanied choir, take a group of simple rhymes and set them in a spirit of fun and fairytale. The Suite Antique for flute, harpsichord and strings, consists of six short movements ranging from a simple, classic ‘aria’ to an upbeat ‘jazz waltz’.

An audio learning guide for Blow, blow thou winter wind is available from ChoirGuides

Track list

1. Fancies: Tell me where is fancy bred
2. Fancies: There is a garden in her face
3. Fancies: The urchin’s song
4. Fancies: Riddle song
5. Fancies: Midnight’s bell
6. Fancies: The bellman’s song
7. Suite Antique: Prelude
8. Suite Antique: Ostinato
9. Suite Antique: Aria
10. Suite Antique: Waltz
11. Suite Antique: Chanson
12. Suite Antique: Rondeau
13. Five Childhood Lyrics: Monday’s Child
14. Five Childhood Lyrics: The Owl and the Pussy-cat
15. Five Childhood Lyrics: Windy nights
16. Five Childhood Lyrics: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
17. Five Childhood Lyrics: Sing a song of sixpence
18. When Icicles Hang: Icicles
19. When Icicles Hang: Winter nights
20. When Icicles Hang: Good ale
21. When Icicles Hang: Blow, blow thou winter wind
22. When Icicles Hang: Winter awakeneth all my care
23. When Icicles Hang: Hay, ay