Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
The Complete Songs
Kitty Whately (mezzo-soprano); Nicholas Phan (tenor); Anna Tilbrook (piano);
Gweneth Ann Rand (soprano); Roderick Williams (baritone); Max Baillie (violin/viola)
rec. 2023/24, Potton Hall Studios, Saxmundham, UK
Texts included
Signum Classics SIGCD940 [2 CDs: 151]
In recent years I’ve become aware of some of the songs of Rebecca Clarke, most notably The Cloths of Heaven, Down by the Salley Gardens and, above all, the outstandingly original The Seal Man. I have enjoyed what I’ve heard but I recognised that in getting to know a handful of her songs I was just skimming the surface; until this album arrived for review, though, I was completely unaware of how many songs there were to be discovered. This comprehensive survey of her songs comprises no fewer than fifty-seven individual settings. Clarke’s great-nephew by marriage, Christopher Johnson has written an essay about the songs in which he tells us that Clarke’s first completed composition was a song, Wandrers Nachtlied, composed in 1903 and that her active involvement in the genre lasted until the winter of 1976-77 when she did an “overhaul” of Lethe, a song which she had composed in 1941. That’s an astonishingly long engagement with the composition of songs. That said, it will be noted that only some 21 songs are dated after 1920, with the latest composition dated 1954. There are, I think, a couple of reasons for that though, surprisingly, this aspect of her life is not referenced in the booklet. For one thing, from the mid-1920s she was very busy as a professional violist. Secondly, at the time that World War II broke out she was on a visit to the USA and she was unable to return to Britain; in 1944 she married a Scottish musician, James Friskin and I believe she lived in the USA for the rest of her life. The marriage may have been key in terms of her compositional career; after I’d finished my listening work on these discs I found, by chance, an online interview in which Kitty Whately states that although James Friskin was supportive, composing took a back seat after her marriage. Apparently, she says, Christopher Johnson strongly believes that Clarke “had some autonomy in that decision to step back from composition”. As Whately puts it, Clarke and her husband “made their home in America where they ran a festival together, she focused a lot of her energy on teaching, and it seems she genuinely wanted to settle down”. So, Rebecca Clarke pursued a different and, it seems, rewarding path in life; we can only wonder what she might have further achieved had she felt able to make more space in her life for composition later in her life.
I’m not sure how many of the songs recorded here have been previously published but it’s clear that not all of them have been because Nicholas Phan remarks that Christopher Johnson made available some early unpublished manuscripts so that the songs concerned could be included in this project. I understand that five new volumes of Clarke’s previously unpublished songs are soon to be published in editions by Nicholas Phan and Christopher Johnson. As a result of this initiative, all her vocal compositions known to exist in a completed state will be publicly available for the first time. This set includes all the completed songs and in addition a couple more are here recorded for the first time in new arrangements.
I knew that Clarke had been a composition pupil of Stanford; what I didn’t know until I read Christopher Johnson’s essay was that it was some of her early song compositions that brought her to Stanford’s attention and led to him agreeing to take her on as a pupil. It would appear that in her earliest compositions in the genre she had something of a penchant for setting German texts: there are six such examples on the first CD and a further seven on the second disc, most of them sung by Nicholas Phan. Among these songs, the poetry of Richard Dehmel (1863-1920) was a particular inspiration; no fewer than eight of the songs utilise his poetry. Apparently, it’s not possible to date many of Rebecca Clarke’s songs with complete accuracy but it seems likely that all these German settings were composed between about 1903 and 1907; in other words, when Clarke was in her late teens and early twenties. It seems to me that these are accomplished settings which display both a good feel for the German language and also a solid knowledge of the Lieder repertoire. That said, they are, understandably, more ‘conventional’ in nature than some of her mature songs.
It would be simply impossible – and tedious for the reader – to discuss all the individual songs in this collection, so I’ll content myself with some personal highlights, whether in terms of the songs per se or the performances they receive, starting with Disc 1. A Dream, sung by Kitty Whately, is a setting of words by W B Yeats. The music is mysterious and other worldly, something which is emphasised by the spare nature of the piano writing. Looking at the words, they seem to be an unusual and somewhat challenging choice to set to music – a trait we’ll encounter in a number of other songs in this collection – but Clarke sets them successfully. On the other hand, The Cloths of Heaven (Nicholas Phan), is a Yeats poem which a good number of composers have set. Clarke’s response to the words is very expressive, not least at the words ‘But I, being poor, have only my dreams’. Down by the Salley Gardens, yet another Yeats setting (there are five in all), is also very familiar to admirers of British song. Actually, it appears twice in this collection. Clarke wrote it, for voice and piano, in 1919, but in 1955 she arranged the song for accompaniment by a violin. Nicholas Phan offers the 1955 revision with Max Baillie partnering him, whereas on Disc 2, Kitty Whately performs the original version. I have to say I prefer the original – though the revision is most interesting, not least because the accompaniment is, by definition, rather more sparse. The decision to have each of the singers perform the song is a good one; I found it interesting to compare and contrast their approaches by playing one after the other.
The Seal Man is probably Rebecca Clarke’s most celebrated song, and rightly so. This setting of a prose passage by John Masefield is a composition of significant originality. Most of the performances I’ve heard hitherto have been by male singers, so it was fascinating to hear it delivered by Kitty Whately. She makes a terrific job of the song, projecting the narrative most effectively. Up to now I’ve always heard the song with piano accompaniment but here it’s given in a new arrangement involving both piano and viola (Max Baillie) by Baillie, Myra Lin and Anna Tilbrook. I think it works very well; the viola’s husky tone is just right as an additional colour. The instrument’s contribution is fairly limited because Clarke’s original piano accompaniment is quite sparing in places. We shall encounter another arrangement for the same combination at the start of Disc 2. Up-hill is an interesting choice of text; the poem is by Christina Rossetti and it’s a kind of Q&A poem which you might not immediately expect to find set to music. In fact, Clarke’s setting is a fine one and it’s eloquently performed by Phan and Anna Tilbrook. I’m less sure about Sleep. John Fletcher’s poem has been set by many composers – Ivor Gurney is the gold standard as far as I’m concerned – but I’ve never heard it treated as a duet, which is the way that Clarke approaches the text. The twin vocal lines are quite independent of each other and despite the best efforts of Whately and Phan I’m not sure the song works; the vocal lines distract from one another, I think. Among the group of German songs which follow one is unusual. Vor der Türe schläft der Baum (Outside the door the tree’s asleep) is a flowing lullaby. So far, so normal – until you realise that the words seem to be addressed to a little wolf!
The Cherry-Blossom Wand is an imaginative setting; both words and music express rapture with a light touch. A sense of wonder pervades the song and Nicholas Phan conveys that. Ah for the Red Spring Rose is a charming song which Whately and Tilbrook perform delightfully. They close the first disc with God Made a Tree, which is the latest song in the collection; it dates from 1954. The text, by Katherine Kendall, is most interesting and Clarke sets it thoughtfully; the piano part is strongly independent of the vocal line.
Disc 2 opens with what is by far the longest song in the set; Binnorie: A Ballad plays for 13:39. In this performance we hear it in a new arrangement for voice, piano and viola by the same team who arranged The Seal Man. Here, the viola and, indeed, the accompaniment generally, is more prominent than was the case in that other arrangement. The song is a setting of a traditional Scottish ballad. At the start I was, you might say, lulled into a false sense of security in the sense that the music sounds to be a fairly conventional, if dark and haunting, folk-like setting. But that’s not the half of it. As the ballad unfolds Clarke’s musical response becomes more complex, dramatic and individual. In fact, the song is absolutely compelling, an impression heightened by the gripping performance by all three musicians. Kitty Whately is superb, telling the story with great intensity; the contributions of Anna Tilbrook and Max Baillie are no less important or impressive – the decision to involve the viola with its husky tone is inspired; I feel sure Rebecca Clarke would have thoroughly approved of the deployment in this way of the instrument which she herself played. This is one of the pinnacles of the whole set.
Nicholas Phan’s pliant voice is well suited to Weep You No More, Sad Fountains. He also does Come, Oh Come, My Life’s Delight very well; Clarke springs something of a surprise here in that her response to Thomas Campion’s words is not as exuberant as one has heard from some other composers. A Psalm of David, When He Was in the Wilderness of Judah (Phan) offers another example of Clarke’s originality in choosing texts for songs. This is a through-composed setting of Psalm 63. There’s often a Middle Eastern flavour to the piano accompaniment. I like the way Clarke varies her music – sometimes ardent, sometimes meditative – according to the emotions expressed by the Psalmist. Tiger, Tiger is a dramatic and original take on Blake’s poem. Whately and Tilbrook characterise the song very strongly, bringing it vividly to life. I believe that Lethe was Kitty Whately’s first encounter with a song by Clarke. I presume we are hearing it in the “overhauled” version, made not long before the composer’s death, that Christopher Johnson references in his booklet essay. Daybreak is an outlier in this set in that it’s the only song in which the piano is not involved. Instead, Nicholas Phan is joined by a string quartet, members of the Seattle Chamber Music Society. I presume this is Clarke’s original scoring. The song has a text by John Donne and the music is very melancholic in nature, which suits the string quartet medium very well.
Earlier in this review I mentioned a duet setting of Sleep, which I didn’t think really worked. There are five more duets in the programme in which the two guest singers, Gweneth Ann Rand and Roderick Williams partner Whately or Phan respectively. I’m very familiar indeed with the artistry of Williams but I don’t think I’ve encountered Gweneth Ann Rand before, though I hope I’ll hear her again soon. Both guest singers make excellent contributions and, in all cases, the two voices involved in each duet blend very well.
I’ve made one or two references to Anna Tilbrook’s pianism but a fuller comment is appropriate. She makes a key contribution to the success of this venture. Her accompaniments are a consistent source of pleasure and it must instil great confidence in the singers to know that they have a pianist of such accomplishment and perception at the keyboard.
So, how can I sum up my reaction to Rebecca Clarke as a composer of art songs? Not all of the songs are out and out winners; you can tell with some of the early ones that the composer is finding her feet; that’s entirely understandable. In that respect, I wondered initially if it might have been preferable to offer the songs in chronological order of composition, so far as the dates can be accurately established, in order to trace her compositional progress. On reflection, though, I think this would have been a mistake; mixing up the chronology was a better idea. It also means that some sub-groups of songs can be crafted around the poets concerned, such as Yeats, Masefield or Dehmel (though, in fact, it seems that where Clarke set several texts by the same poet these tended to be roughly contemporaneous). What this pair of discs has shown is that Rebecca Clarke was a considerable contributor to the genre of English song; there isn’t a song here that isn’t worth hearing and I hope that this set and the work that the artists are doing around the time of the release of this album – a Rebecca Clarke day at London’s Wigmore Hall on 8 November, for example – will heighten awareness of her output, not just among audiences but among other performers. Clarke’s songs deserve to be more widely appreciated. The planned publication in 2026 of the songs which have been unpublished hitherto should assist in this endeavour.
In Kitty Whately, Nicholas Phan and Anna Tilbrook, Clarke’s songs receive splendid advocacy. I’ve heard both singers before – Phan rather less than Whately – and so I wasn’t surprised that both of them offer a series of excellent performances here. In addition to learning all the music, it’s evident that these three artists have put in an awful lot of scholarly preparation in order to bring these songs to life; their work has been amply justified.
The booklet contains valuable essays on the composer and her songs by Nicholas Phan and by Christopher Johnson. All the sung texts – and English translations of the German songs and one which is in French – have been provided. However, I’m not over impressed with the work of the designer of the booklet. A small font has been used, which is understandable given the amount of information that’s been included. Unfortunately, though, the decision to print the track list and texts for CD 2 in white type on a red background makes it very difficult to read. It may have looked all right on a computer screen but not on the printed page. Why not use good old-fashioned black font on a white background (as had been done for the notes) instead of this trendy, unhelpful approach?
Simon Kiln acted as producer and engineer for this project. He’s done an excellent job, recording the artists clearly and with an ideal balance.
This is a revelatory set, superbly performed, which anyone interested in English art song should hasten to investigate.
John Quinn
Previous review: Jonathan Woolf (November 2025)
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Contents
CD 1
Greeting (1927)
Shy One (1912?)
A Dream (1926)
The Cloths of Heaven (1912)
One That Is Ever Kind “The Folly of Being Comforted” (1911?)
Down by the Salley Gardens (Version for Violin) (1919 arr. 1955)
June Twilight (1925)
The Seal Man (1922)
Oh, Dreaming World (1905)
Up-hill (1907?)
Sleep (1935)
Spirits (1909?)
Shiv, Who Poured the Harvest “Shiv and the Grasshopper” (1904)
Chanson (1904?)
Three Old English Songs (1924):
I. It was a Lover and his Lass
II. Phillis on the new made Hay
III. The Tailor and the Mouse
Vor der Türe schläft der Baum (1905?)
Du (1905?)
Oh Welt (1904?)
Nach einem Regen (1906?)
Vergissmeinnicht (1907)
Das Ideal (1907?)
The Cherry-Blossom Wand (1927)
The Donkey (1942)
The Aspidistra (1929)
Ah for the Red Spring Rose (1904)
God Made a Tree (1954)
CD 2
Binnorie: A Ballad (1941?)
Weep You No More, Sad Fountains (1912?)
Come, Oh Come, My Life’s Delight (1923)
A Psalm of David, When He Was in the Wilderness of Judah (1920)
Magna est veritas (1907)
Take, O Take Those Lips Away (1935?)
Cradle Song (1929)
Infant Joy (1913?)
Tiger, Tiger (Revised Version) (1931)
Eight O’Clock (1927)
The Moving Finger Writes (1905?)
Lethe (1941)
Return of Spring (1910?)
Tears (1910)
The Color of Life (1909)
Klage (1904?)
Manche Nacht (1907)
Aufblick (1904)
Durch die Nacht (1906)
Wandrers Nachtlied (1903?)
Stimme im Dunkeln (1904?)
Nacht für Nacht (1907)
Daybreak (1904)
Down by the Salley Gardens (Version for Piano) (1919)
Three Irish Country Songs (1926)
I. I know my love
II. I know where I’m goin’
III. As I was going to Ballynure
Away, Delights! (1912-13?)
Hymn to Pan (1912-13?)
Other performers
Musicians of the Seattle Chamber Music Society: Karen Gomyo, Erin Keefe (violins); Paul Neubauer (viola); Mark Kosower (cello)
Previous review by Jonathan Woolf.
