Earth's Call

Featuring

April Fredrick
Mark Bebbington
John Ireland

Did you know?

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Composition History

The "Variations sur Cadet Rousselle" was a collaborative effort suggested by music critic Edwin Evans and harmonized by Arnold Bax, Frank Bridge, Eugène Goossens, and John Ireland.

Recording & Production

This album features several songs receiving their first recording by a soprano, as most previous recordings of John Ireland's songs have been made by male singers.

Composition History

The song "Earth's Call," which gives the album its title, was written in February 1918 and subtitled "A Sylvan Rhapsody."

Composer's Artistic Vision

John Ireland, the composer, had a deep love of poetry that played an important part in his artistic development, stemming from his literary household.

Compositional Technique

John Ireland's piano parts in his songs are not only effective accompaniments but often have a distinctive character of their own.

Compositional Technique

John Ireland's "Earth's Call" has a ternary structure with an elaborate piano part that plays a role equal to the voice, likened to a scena.

Performer Biography

Mark Bebbington, the pianist on this album, has received seven consecutive 5-star reviews in BBC Music Magazine for his recordings of British music, notably cycles of Frank Bridge and John Ireland.