Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams, Henry Ley,
Performer: David Briggs
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Albion
Catalogue: ALBCD021-022
Release: 2015
Size: 420 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
Vaughan Williams: The New Commonwealth
01. Prelude
Vaughan Williams: The Wasps
02. Overture (arr. D. Briggs for organ)
Vaughan Williams: 2 Preludes on Welsh Folksongs
03. No. 2. Toccata: St. David’s Day
04. No. 1. Romanza: The White Rock
Suite for Viola & Orchestra (Herbert Sumsion)
05. Group 1: Carol
06. Group 3: Musette
07, Vaughan Williams: A Wedding Tune for Ann (arr. C. Morris for organ)
08, Vaughan Williams: Wedding Canon for Nancy
09. Ley: Fantasia on the Welsh Hymn Tune Aberystwyth
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 1 “A Sea Symphony”
10. II. On the Beach at Night, alone: Largo sostenuto (arr. H.G. Ley for organ)
11. Vaughan Williams: Prelude and Fugue in C Minor
CD 02
Vaughan Williams: 3 Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes
01. No. 1. Bryn Calfaria
02. No. 2. Rhosymedre
03. No. 3. Hyfrydol
04. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (arr. P. Beardsley for organ)
05. Vaughan Williams: Dirge for Fidele (arr. A. Rowley for organ)
06. Vaughan Williams: Passacaglia on B-G-C
07. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves (arr. S. Roper for organ)
Vaughan Williams: A Song of Thanksgiving
08. Land of Our Birth (arr. S. de B. Taylor for organ)
Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet
09. III. Alla Sarabanda (arr. H.G. Ley for organ)
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 2 “A London Symphony”
10. Slow movement (1920 version) (arr. H.G. Ley for organ)
Vaughan Williams: 5 Mystical Songs
11. No. 5. Antiphon, ‘Let all the world” (arr. H.G. Ley for organ)
This double CD includes the complete original organ works of Ralph Vaughan Williams, of which two are unpublished and three are world première recordings. There are also many organ transcriptions, some by friends and contemporaries of Vaughan Williams, others newly commissioned for this production, including David Briggs’ transcription of the Overture to The Wasps and Peter Beardsley’s transcription of The Tallis Fantasia. As a bonus, we include the first recording of Henry Ley’s Fantasia on Aberystwyth.
One of the foremost concert organists (and composers) of his generation, David Briggs enjoys a busy touring schedule that takes him all over the world. On this release he plays the restored 1912 Walker organ of Sacred Heart Church, Wimbledon, a sumptuous English organ with three 32 foot stops.