Prima Facie Records

The War of Wrath (PFCD208/209) Double CD £15.00

Composed by Paul Corfield Godfrey
Performed by Volante Opera

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Rest of the World £20.00 GBP UK £15.00 GBP

CD 1
1. Prologue: Aiya Eärendil [06:26]
2. Scene One: I will follow that light [05:52]
3. Scene Two: And at times Melian and Galadriel... [01:09]
4. There is some woe that lies upon you [05:16]
5. Then Galadriel spoke to Melian of the Silmarils [00:39]
6. Now much you tell me [02:03]
7. This is a great matter [06:18]
8. Now the world runs swiftly on to great tidings [02:45]
9. Scene Three: Then a winter, as it were a hoar age of mortal men, fell upon Thingol. [02:31]
10. Now when the horns of the hunt grew faint in the forest [03:08]
11. Wherefore, renegade, do you defile the seat of my lord? [06:09]
12. Scene Four: Eärendil was a mariner [04:09]
13. It is likely that you will see me never again. [01:40]
14. To the Sea [03:21]
15. Beneath the moon and under star he wandered far [03:24]
16. Scene Five: A Silmaril of Fëanor still burns in the woods of Nimbrethil [01:22]
17. Through hopeless night she came to him [01:49]
18. San ninqueruvissë lútier kiryassë Eärendil or vea [03:04]

CD2
1. Scene Six: Through Evernight he back was borne [02:49]
2. Hail Eärendil! [01:36]
3. He tarried there from errantry [02:43]
4. Shall mortal Man step living upon the Undying Lands, and yet live? [04:39]
5. A ship then new they built for him [01:32]
6. Surely that is a Silmaril that shines now in the West [03:49]
7. But on him mighty doom was laid [04:15]
8. Scene Seven: But Morgoth looked not for the assault that came upon him [03:54]
9. Then the sun rose and the host of the Valar prevailed [03:45]
10. And Morgoth himself the Valar thrust through the Door of Night [03:10]
11. Scene Eight: Yield up now these jewels which Fëanor our father made [08:00]
12. Thus it came to pass that the Silmarils found their long homes [01:50]
13. Scene Nine: Interlude [00:55]
14. Alas for the weakness of the great! [01:14]
15. Three Rings for the Elvenkings under the sky [02:12]
16. Epilogue: Aiya Eärendil [01:04]
17. A wind in the grass! [02:52]
18. Now the proud elms at last begin to quail [01:48]
19. At night the Elves dance beneath the roofless sky [02:12]
20. Bare has our realm become [01:40]
21. I would not seek the burning domes and sands [04:42]

The cycle of “epic scenes from The Silmarillion” by Paul Corfield Godfrey, drawn from the posthumous writings of J R R Tolkien, was the largest-scale work of classical music written in Wales in the twentieth century, and has been recorded by Prima Facie over the course of the last five years. We are now pleased to release the concluding section of this work, written as recently as 2019-20, to bring to an end Tolkien’s description of the history of Middle-Earth in the First Age. The text, as before, employs a wide variety of posthumously published texts by the author with the permission of the Tolkien Estate. It not only features the return of roles and singers familiar from earlier parts of the cycle, but also introduces new characters such as Elrond, Galadriel and the great mariner Eärendil who will be familiar to readers of The Lord of the Rings. All the singers are professional artists from Welsh National Opera.

Reviewing last year’s recording of Fëanor, Marc Medwin in Fanfare magazine commented “Heretofore I have been entirely ignorant of Paul Corfield Godfrey’s work. More’s the pity. This is an operatic recording whose singers and the music they perform are completely in tune with the nature of the story and its themes, making me want to hear the other instalments as soon as possible.''

CAST (In Order of Singing)
ELBERETH (VALA): Emma Mary Llewellyn
CÍRDAN (ELF): Julian Boyce
ULMO, LORD OF WATERS (VALA): Martin Lloyd
MELIAN, QUEEN OF DORIATH (MAIA): Helen Jarmany
GALADRIEL (ELF): Angharad Morgan
THINGOL, KING OF DORIATH (ELF): Martin Lloyd
MAGLOR, SON OF FËANOR (ELF): Michael Clifton-Thompson
CURUFIN, SON OF FËANOR (ELF): Huw Llywelyn
ELWING (ELF): Sophie Yelland
MAEDHROS, SON OF FËANOR (ELF): Stephen Wells
EÄRENDIL, SON OF TUOR AND IDRIL (ELF): Simon Crosby Buttle
EÖNWË, HERALD OF THE VALAR (MAIA): Philip Lloyd-Evans
ELDER KING (VALA): George Newton-Fitzgerald
MANDOS (VALA): Julian Boyce
SAURON, LIEUTENANT OF MORGOTH (MAIA): Jasey Hall
MORGOTH, THE ENEMY (VALA): Laurence Cole
ELROND, SON OF EÄRENDIL AND ELWING (ELF): Simon Crosby Buttle
CHORUS:
SOPRANO: Rosie Hay & Emma Mary Llewellyn
MEZZO: Stella Woodman & Helen Greenaway
TENOR: Huw Llywelyn & Simon Crosby Buttle (Scenes 7 & 9 - Michael Clifton-Thompson)
BASS: Julian Boyce & Jasey Hall (Scenes 7 & 9 - Philip Lloyd-Evans, Stephen Wells & George Newton-Fitzgerald)

Production and engineering: Volante Opera ©2023
Music published by Zarahustra Music ©2023
Illustrations 'Beren: Song of Parting' & 'Taniquetil' by kind permission of Ted Nasmith ©2023
Synopsis and notes: Volante Opera Productions and Paul Corfield Godfrey ©2023
All artists appear by arrangement with Welsh National Opera

You can read the sleevenotes from 'The War of Wrath' on the Prima Facie blog.

Composer's website: https://www.paulcorfieldgodfrey.co.uk/the-war-of-wrath
More information about the recording: https://www.volanteopera.wales/war-of-wrath
Cast biographies: https://www.volanteopera.wales/biographies

Paul Corfield Godfrey lives in Wales, studying composition and conducting with Alan Bush and David Wynne. His works as a composer include a cycle of epic scenes based on J R R Tolkien's The Silmarillion, extracts from which have been performed in Oxford. Other works have been performed in London and elsewhere throughout England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Hungary, America, Australia and New Zealand. He has appeared as a performer both on radio and television, and a number of his works have been broadcast.

Volante Opera Productions was founded by Julian Boyce in 1999, originally bringing opera gala performances to Wales and England. Our main aims are not only to take live music into the community but also through our recordings to enable a wider audience to hear varied and exciting repertoire that has previously gone unrecorded or unheard. In addition, over the years, Volante Opera Productions has helped to raise money for charities, performing in dementia homes, schools and churches. Also our Musical Advent Calendar videos, recorded in the lockdowns of 2020, raised thousands of pounds for Shelter Cymru.