A Memory of the Ocean
‘A Memory of the Ocean (2023) is a collection of three pieces scored for choir, piano and violoncello. The texts, comprised of one poem by the composer followed by settings of poetry after Sara Teasdale (1884-1933), are unified by their allusions to the sea. Commissioned to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams, the collection is inspired by his work ‘A Sea Symphony’ (composed 1903-1909) as an important work in the history of British choral music in which the chorus is used throughout as a vital part of the work’s texture and colour. Similarly, the choir provides a fundamental surface for the piano to take moments of prominence throughout the pieces. The pieces are either to be performed as a complete collection, or performed individually.’ ©G.E.M.2023
I. A Memory of the Ocean
II. I Am A Pool
III. Sea of Amethyst
Co-commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society, with support from the Vaughan Williams Foundation to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and by the Netherlands Broadcasting Organization AVROTROS.
The world premiere was presented on 24th June 2023 by Bristol Choral Society conducted by Hilary Campbell, with pianist Steven Kings, Soprano Charlotte Mobbs and cellist Evva Mizerska.
“The music is very atmospheric and the choral writing, with frequently overlapping vocal lines, evokes the surges and eddies of the sea. [...] The writing for the choir is expansive, largely homophonic and rather beautiful. ”
Devised by the Bristol Choral Society’s director Hilary Campbell, the choir’s second album ‘Praise Him with Trumpets’ with Delphian is a celebration of British choral music ranging from Holst and Vaughan Williams, by way of Britten’s much-loved Rejoice in the Lamb, to some of today’s most vibrant voices.
At its heart are three premiere recordings: of Dame Judith Weir’s Praise Him with Trumpets, Grace-Evangeline Mason’s A Memory of the Ocean for choir, piano and cello, a Royal Philharmonic Society commission whose first performance the choir gave in 2023, and an exciting recent rediscovery – Elizabeth Poston’s Festal Te Deum.
To complement the larger choral pieces, the choir’s long-term collaborator Charlotte Mobbs and pianist Steven Kings bring to life vivid Shakespearesettings by Vaughan Williams, Elizabeth Maconchy and Cecilia McDowall. Find out more on the Delphian Press Release here.
Release Date: 30th January 2025
“One particular gem is Grace-Evangeline Mason’s A Memory of the Ocean, laced with imaginative, magical textures”
Grace-Evangeline Mason, Photo: Delphian Records
Hilary Campbell and Bristol Choral Society
Photo: Delphian Records
