A programme of his songs and piano pieces by William Parsons (baritone) and the composer
Five sixteenth-century poems :
A thanksgiving
All in a garden green An aside
A report song
The sweet season
Piano pieces :
April ; Ragamuffin (London
Pieces, No. 2)
Songs :
The bells of San Marie
0 happy land (First performance) Great things
John Ireland is one of the most distinguished British composers. Although he has written a few outstanding symphonic works, he excels as a composer of music and the smaller forms for voice and piano. Tonight's programme includes two of his most popular piano pieces, ' April ' and ' Ragamuffin '.
It is also notable for the first performance of his new song 'O happy land'. The words are by W. J. Linton , a rather obscure nineteenth-century poet. According to the composer, they ' strike a note in the home life of England which would appeal, very generally at the present time