Prima Facie Records

Prayer for Peace (PFCD258) £12.50/£17.50

Music for Strings, Recorder, Voice and Piano
Victoria String Quartet | John Turner | Sophie Clarke | David Jones | James Manson

1-7. Abergavenny: Louis Bourgault-Ducoudray (treble recorder and string quartet) [08:44]

1. Y Fwyalchen (The Blackbird)
2. Dafydd y Gareg Wen (David of the White Rock)
3. Syr Harri Ddu (Black Sir Harry)
4. Bugeilio’r Gwenith Gwyn (Watching the White Wheat)
5. Wrth edrych yn ol (Why lingers my gaze?)
6. Llwyn On (The Ash Grove)
7 Triban Gwyr Maorgannwg (War Song of the Men of Glamorgan)

8-10. Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orléans: Claude Debussy (arr. Julian Bryan for mezzo soprano, violin and piano) [07:07]

8 I. Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder! (God, how good it is to look upon her!)
9 II. Quant j'ai ouy le tabourin (When I hear the tambourine)
10 III. Yver, vous n'estes qu'un villain! (Winter, you're nothing but a villain!)

11. Scherzino: Randall Thompson (descant recorder, violin and viola) [02:41]

12. Minuet and Trio: Thomas Pitfield (string quartet) [02:31]

13. Pastorale: Thomas Pitfield (violin, 'cello and piano) [04:46]

14. Contre Qui, Rose from Les Chansons des Roses: Morten Lauridsen (string quartet) [03:31]

15-17. Three Polish Folk Songs arr. Jon Jeffrey Grier (treble recorder and string quartet) [07:40]

- I. Hej Sokoly (Hey Falcons)
- II. Na Wojtusia Z Popielnika (A Little Spark)
- III. Na Wierzbowym Listku - Ada's kujawiak #1 (The Nightingale and the Willow Leaf)

18. Pas de Quatre: Rhona Clarke (string quartet) [10:36]

19-22. String Quartet No.2: Adam Gorb (string quartet) [11:54]

23. A Mystery Unsolved: Jon Jeffrey Grier (string quintet) [03:02]

24. Prayer for Peace: Sasha Johnson Manning (tenor recorder, string quintet) [02:19]

Total time [65:02]

Review

"There is no doubt that the performances are all first rate, and the recorded sound is ideal. In sum, this disc offers a richly varied and imaginative excursion through little-known repertoire and inventive arrangements, brought to life with skill and conviction." John France, MusicWeb International

About this Album

"The idea of putting together a compilation of unrecorded works and original arrangements for strings and flute or recorder first came about in mid-2023, when I realised, together with my already close friend and associate John Turner - a highly renowned recorder player - that there is a wealth of such music waiting to be recorded and released.

As a result of internationally contacting an assortment of outstanding composers and arrangers (including the legendary Morten Lauridsen, another incredibly versatile and outstanding U.S. composer/arranger Jon Jeffrey Grier, the equally outstanding Irish composer Rhona Clarke, and my then mere acquaintances Prof. Adam Gorb and Sasha Johnson Manning), I put together a chronological list of works for recording on the Manchester-based 'Prima Facie' label.

Contact with the distinguished Head of Vocal Studies at the RNCM, Prof. Lynne Dawson, also put me in touch with the highly-established young Mezzo Soprano singer, Sophie Clarke, who - in her first year since graduating - has already been celebrated as a top soloist in many major UK concert halls, as well as being particularly successful online in the field of commercial music. She had already worked with the Head of Accompaniment at the RNCM, Dr David Jones.

None of this would have been possible without the unstinting support of my former RNCM contemporary and celebrated violinist, Benedict Holland and his Victoria String Quartet - not to mention the support of Prima Facie's leader and supporting team, Steve Plews, Phil Hardman and Simon Crosby Buttle.

Collaboration with the accomplished musician/typesetter / graphic design artist Karl Whelan and 'My Sheet Music Transcriptions' has enabled this CD, finally, to be produced and presented to you. We hope you enjoy listening to the CD as much as we have enjoyed making it! We hope, also, that its message of 'Prayer for Peace' will be heeded all around the world.

We wish everyone peace and happiness - especially to all music listeners."
Julian Bryan

YouTube playlist: Debussy's Trois Chansons

Credits

Victoria String Quartet – Benedict Holland (violin) | David Greed (violin) | Kimi Makino (viola) | Adrian Bradbury (‘cello)
John Turner (recorders)
Sophie Clarke (mezzo soprano)
David Jones (piano)
James Manson (double bass)

Tracks 14 & 18-22 were recorded on 25th May 2023, and tracks 1-13, 15-17 & 23-24 on 17th June 2025 - all at St Elizabeth's Church, Ashley.
Recording engineer on 25th May 2023: Stephen Plews
Editing and Mastering: Simon Crosby Buttle
Recording engineer on 17th June 2025: Phil Hardman
Editing and Mastering: Phil Hardman
Booklet notes and biographies by John Turner and Julian Bryan
Album cover design: Karl Whelan (quote by Albert Camus)
Album Layout: Simon Crosby Buttle

This recording has been generously supported by The Pitfield Trust and The Ida Carroll Trust.

In demand since its formation in 2017, Victoria String Quartet has gone on to perform for chamber music societies and festivals throughout the UK and has been hailed as an ensemble ‘brim full with pedigree and wide experience’ (Buxton International Festival), performing at venues including Kendal (Lake District Summer Music), Pinner and Buxton Festivals, London and Manchester (Bridgewater, RNCM and Stoller halls). They are joined on this recording by James Manson (double bass), principal bass in the Northern Chamber Orchestra since 1989 and also the Northern Chamber Orchestra's Composer in Residence.

Distinguished recorderist John Turner is Stockport born and bred. Having been a Senior Scholar in Law at Fitzwilliam College Cambridge before pursuing a legal career, he acted for many distinguished musicians and musical organisations (including The Hallé Orchestra and the Royal Northern College of Music), alongside his many musical activities. The latter included numerous appearances and recordings with David Munrow’s Early Music Consort of London, the Academy of Ancient Music, and the English Chamber Orchestra.

John has given the first performance of over 600 works for the recorder. Many of these have become part of the standard repertoire, with these and his own recorder compositions being regularly set for festivals and examinations.

John has been responsible for establishing - and being a trustee of - several charitable trusts which encourage the flourishing of music in his home area of Manchester, including the Ida Carroll Trust, the Rawsthorne Trust, the William Alwyn Foundation, the Douglas Steele Foundation, the Golland Trust and the Pitfield Trust.

Praised for her “beautiful story telling” and “touching performances”, mezzo soprano Sophie Clarke has performanced at venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, and Bridgewater Hall. She appeared with London Concertante Orchestra on their West End Musicals UK and Ireland Tour in 2024, and the National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company at Buxton Opera House in 2025. Sophie’s videos and recordings have been played and streamed over 4 million times across 120 different countries. She has been featured on various UK, European and US Radio Stations, and she has also performed on music television programmes for BBC One and ITV.

Pianist David Jones graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor, with a First-Class Honours Degree in Music, specialising in performance and studying piano with Jana Frenklova. He subsequently graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, with a Postgraduate Diploma in Piano Accompaniment having studied with John Wilson, and the degree of Master of Music in Performance for which he also submitted a study of the songs of Albert Roussel. He joined the staff of the School of Keyboard Studies at the RNCM in 1996 and was appointed Accompaniment Co-ordinator, since Head of Accompaniment, in September 2001. He was also chorus master of the RNCM Chamber Choir for four years.