8.572505 5

Michael

HURDPop CantatasJonah-Man Jazz

Prodigal

Rooster Rag

Swingin’ Samson

Captain Coram’s Kids

New London Children’s Choir

Ronald Corp8.5725056

Alexander Wells

Alexander Wells has a varied career as accompanist and chamber musician, and hasbeen pianist of the New London Children’s Choir since it was founded. After taking adegree in Modern Languages at Cambridge he went on to study at the Royal College ofMusic with Stephen Savage and Alasdair Graham, and later trained as a répétiteur atthe National Opera Studio in London. He has worked on the music staff at the RoyalOpera house, Covent Garden, and the Glyndebourne and Wexford Festivals, and for anumber of years with the Almeida Opera.

Ronald Corp

Composer, conductor and choral expert, Ronald Corp founded the New London Children’sChoir in 1991. He is also Artistic Director of the New London Orchestra and MusicalDirector of the London Chorus and the Highgate Choral Society. He is a champion of newmusic particularly for children, and an advocate of neglected twentieth-century repertory.His compositions for children include Cornucopia and Kaleidoscope and treble voices alsomake an appearance in the major choral works And all the trumpets sounded, Laudamus,Adonai Echad and A New Song. Many of Corp’s choral works are now on CD including theChristmas Mass (“Hark! Chantage at Christmas” / EMI); Flower Songs and a selection ofchoral music (Forever Child / Dutton) which was released to great critical acclaim in 2006.In 2009 Corp conducted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in a recording (also for Dutton)of his Symphony, Piano Concerto and Guernsey Postcards. Other recent releases by Corp

are his String Quartets (Naxos), and a selection of songs performed by Mark Stone (Stone Records), in 2010. Hishandbook The Choral Singer’s Companion was recently published in its third edition.

Violin 1Nick Miller 5

Violin 2Natalee Jeremic 5

ViolaRachel Bolt 5

CelloMichal Kaznowski 5

Double BassPaul Sherman 1Lucy Hare 1Adam Precious 4

FluteSarah Newbold 1, 5

OboeRuth Bolister 1, 5

ClarinetDavid Fuest 1

BassoonRichard Skinner 5

TrumpetNick Thompson 1

TromboneDavid Whitson 1

Drum KitNigel Shipway 1, 3, 4, 5

Alto SaxophoneMartin Robertson 1

PianoAlexander Wells 2, 3, 4

NarratorsJohn Addison 1, 5

Orla Gill 3Daniel Ison 4

Treble soloistsPeter Shafran 1Noah Max 2Eleanor Burke 3Amaya Pitharas 3James Cameron 3Kate Brooke 4

1 Jonah Man Jazz2 Prodigal3 Rooster Rag4 Swingin’ Samson5 Captain Coram’s Kids

New London Children’s Choir

The New London Children’s Choir offers a uniqueopportunity for girls and boys aged between seven andeighteen to learn to sing and enjoy all kinds of music.Launched by Ronald Corp in 1991, the Choir hasappeared in all the major London concert halls withBritain’s finest symphony orchestras and conductors,has collaborated with opera companies in the UnitedKingdom and abroad, and has made dozens ofrecordings and broadcasts, including songs forchildren’s choir Pigs Could Fly on Naxos. Recently theNew London Children’s Choir members have sung withEnglish National Opera, at St John’s Smith Square and

at Opera Holland Park in Hansel and Gretel, as well as at the 2009 Leicester Square première of the new Disneyfilm A Christmas Carol alongside Andrea Bocelli. Other highlights include the BBC Blue Peter Prom, Britten’s WarRequiem, the Queen’s Birthday Prom at the Royal Albert Hall and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 at the sixtiethanniversary concert of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The choir has also performed around the world, touringwith Lou Reed in 2007 and 2008 in addition to performances at festivals in France, Italy, the United States and theAzores. The Choir has a special commitment to commissioning and has given the premières of over forty newworks by composers such as Diana Burrell, Simon Bainbridge, Howard Skempton, Philip Cashian, Patrick Nunn,Richard Causton, Gary Carpenter and Morgan Hayes, as well as the world première of Ronald Corp’s children’sopera The Ice Mountain in 2010.

New London Orchestra

The New London Orchestra was founded by Ronald Corp in 1988 to fill a gap in London’s orchestral scene byperforming music rarely heard in concert. The success of this founding vision during the intervening years has beenamply demonstrated not only in the concert hall, but in the recording studio, where the orchestra has put its name tosome twenty discs for Hyperion alone, including the best-selling British Light Music Classics series and works bySullivan, Poulenc, Satie and Milhaud among others. A much-anticipated recording of Rutland Boughton’s 1924opera The Queen of Cornwall was released in late 2010. The orchestra’s focus on East London is driven by thesuccess of its Newham Welcomes the World community music project (2007-2012), while the orchestra’s eastLondon concert series in 2009 is continuing to help to raise its profile locally. www.nlo.co.uk

572505 bk Hurd 24/11/10 13:09 Page 5

8.5725054

John Addison

John Addison trained at the Royal Academy of Music and has appeared in It’s Only MakeBelieve, Chess, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweeney Todd, and Titanic, making his London WestEnd début in the 21st year company of Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre, where hecovered and played the role of Marius. Television credits include Later With Jools Holland(BBC2), Spitting Image (Central), Elton John (Royal Albert Hall) and as Pepicek inBrundibar with the New London Children’s Choir.

Michael Hurd

Michael Hurd was born in Gloucester in 1928. After studying music both at Oxford(where he composed incidental music for Neville Coghill’s 1952 Hamlet) and privatelywith Lennox Berkeley, he taught composition at the Royal Marines School of Musicfrom 1953 to 1959. He then settled in Hampshire, spending the rest of his working lifecomposing, writing, conducting and talking about music. As well as the lastinglypopular works for children on this recording, his compositional output was centred onchoral and vocal pieces, with a marked enthusiasm for and skill at setting verse. TheMissa Brevis (1966), Five Spiritual Songs (1995) and Night Songs of Edward Thomas(1990) are fine examples. Geoffrey Bush, in the New Grove entry of 2001, praised Hurdas a traditionalist, remarking on his lyrical invention, sensitivity to words andunderstanding of the voice. In his own words, Hurd described his music as accessibleand, in the conventional sense, very tuneful. He continued, “I have written a great dealfor adventurous amateurs and for children. And I enjoy this, as I believe that acomposer’s primary duty is to be useful to the community he finds himself in.” He alsonoted that performers should be stretched on occasion, but never broken.

As an author and musicologist Hurd has written many works, including the first and still authoritative biographyof Ivor Gurney, a revision of the Oxford Junior Companion to Music, meticulously researched introductions to seashanties and soldiers’ songs, a students’ outline of European music and brief lives of Vaughan Williams, Elgar andMendelssohn. He also maintained a vigorous yet realistic championing of the life and work of Rutland Boughton.His lifelong association with Novello publishers was acknowledged in his entertaining official history of thatcompany’s early years. Hurd’s last completed book was a co-editing with the late Howard Ferguson of the latter’svoluminous correspondence with Gerald Finzi.

Michael Hurd died in August 2006, aged 78.

Michael Sergeant

8.572505 2

Jonah-Man Jazz (1966) 10:121 Nineveh city was a city of sin 1:242 Jonah, Jonah, listen to me Jonah 1:153 I need a boat, man 1:504 The waves grew high 1:275 When Jonah sank into the sea 2:546 We had a wonderful party 1:22

Prodigal (1989) 13:077 Many years ago 1:588 I want to go to the big bad city 2:029 In the city, free and easy 1:470 Down and out in the city 1:34! Why did I leave the house

of my Father? 1:52@ No use denying 1:12# Kill the fatted calf 1:32$ It was long ago 1:11

Rooster Rag (1975) 13:32% Once upon a time 2:01^ Every time I lay an egg 2:34& I had a terrible dream! 1:05* Oh what a beautiful dream! 1:27( Do me a favour 1:21) There’s a thief in the night 1:46¡ If I were you 1:45™ Beware! Take care! 1:34

Swingin’ Samson (1973) 11:27£ Samson was a hero 1:43¢ When Miss Delilah goes a-walkin’ 2:21∞ Samson, cut your hair 2:08§ Clip and clip 1:15¶ Weak as a kitten 1:44• Ev’rybody came to

the Philistines party 2:16

Captain Coram’s Kids (1987) 18:42

ª Who are these abandoned children? 3:49

º Eight were Duchesses 1:30⁄ What is the humming? 1:04¤ Take my child 2:33‹ See the Foundlings at work! 2:07› I am a little Foundling 2:36fi Here in the pleasant Court Room 2:18fl Captain Coram! 2:45

8.5725053

Michael Hurd (1928-2006)Pop Cantatas

Michael Hurd did not invent the pop cantata but he wascertainly a pioneer in composing brief, witty, sometimeschallenging and above all performable choral music forchildren to enjoy. When Jonah-Man Jazz arrived in1966 to supplement the usual diet of sea shanties, folk-songs and spirituals, young singers and their teachershad modern-sounding music to make and share.Pastiche jazz, blues and rock ‘n’ roll rhythms,memorable tunes and entertaining lyrics proved awinning combination. This recording is the first to besupported by the British Music Society Charitable TrustMichael Hurd Bequest, established to further anappreciation of the composer’s output.

Jonah-Man JazzJonah-Man Jazz, a delightful romp, had its première inDecember 1966 with the boys of Bexley-Erith TechnicalSchool, under Eric J Jones. Bouncing us through thebiblical tale of Jonah in just under eleven minutes, thecomposer noted, “There is no point in approaching thework in any other spirit than the determination to havefun.” Providing his own libretto enabled Hurd to indulgein outrageous wordplay (“Jonah had a whale of a time”)and this piece is by far his best known and mostfrequently performed.

ProdigalProdigal was commissioned by the South AustralianPublic Schools Music Society for the Adelaide Festivalof 1989. Again a sparky reworking of a familiar Biblenarrative, the “doo-be-doo” swing section perfectlycaptures the spirit and anachronistic wit of thesecantatas. This commission is but one example of theperformance and appreciation of Hurd’s workthroughout the English-speaking world.

Rooster RagThe story of Chanticleer, Pertelote and the cunning Fox,Rooster Rag was first performed on 2nd May 1975 at

the Cookham Festival. Local children were under thedirection of Sara Wood, for whom the work was written.Although composed as a cantata, the piece wasoriginally staged, evidence of the flexibility inperformance of all these pieces encouraged by thecomposer. “The thing is to enjoy it,” he urged.

Swingin’ SamsonSwingin’ Samson was first performed in 1973 by theSouthend Boys Choir, for whom it was written. Againdrawing on familiar scripture material, this is a sprightlyfavourite with an acidly witty barber’s shop scene at itsheart. Opening with a lively description of Samsonhimself, the work explains his enormous strength andoutlines his prowess on the field of battle. The finaledescribes the Philistine’s party – set as a square dance –at the end of which Samson pulls down the wholebuilding on their heads.

The composer notes that when the audience isinvited to join in with “Weak as a kitten” they shouldhave no trouble in picking up the melody, sincememorable tunes are a conscious feature of his work forchildren. In the music, the composer states: “You could,of course, play safe and teach it to them before theperformance, but I do not really recommend this.”

Captain Coram’s KidsCaptain Coram’s Kids was commissioned by theHeritage Education Trust and given its première on 12thNovember 1987 at the Banqueting Hall, Whitehall.Described as an eighteenth-century pop cantata, the piecedraws material from the history of the Thomas CoramFoundation for Children most notably from The Story ofthe Foundling Hospital by Maureen Boyd, edited andproduced (1981) by Gene Adams, Museum Adviser ofthe Inner London Education Authority. What might havebeen dryly educational stuff in less gifted hands is livelyand accessible, demonstrating Hurd’s strength in writingfor children without writing down to them.

Michael

HURD(1928-2006)

Pop Cantatas

572505 bk Hurd 24/11/10 13:09 Page 2

8.5725054

John Addison

John Addison trained at the Royal Academy of Music and has appeared in It’s Only MakeBelieve, Chess, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweeney Todd, and Titanic, making his London WestEnd début in the 21st year company of Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre, where hecovered and played the role of Marius. Television credits include Later With Jools Holland(BBC2), Spitting Image (Central), Elton John (Royal Albert Hall) and as Pepicek inBrundibar with the New London Children’s Choir.

Michael Hurd

Michael Hurd was born in Gloucester in 1928. After studying music both at Oxford(where he composed incidental music for Neville Coghill’s 1952 Hamlet) and privatelywith Lennox Berkeley, he taught composition at the Royal Marines School of Musicfrom 1953 to 1959. He then settled in Hampshire, spending the rest of his working lifecomposing, writing, conducting and talking about music. As well as the lastinglypopular works for children on this recording, his compositional output was centred onchoral and vocal pieces, with a marked enthusiasm for and skill at setting verse. TheMissa Brevis (1966), Five Spiritual Songs (1995) and Night Songs of Edward Thomas(1990) are fine examples. Geoffrey Bush, in the New Grove entry of 2001, praised Hurdas a traditionalist, remarking on his lyrical invention, sensitivity to words andunderstanding of the voice. In his own words, Hurd described his music as accessibleand, in the conventional sense, very tuneful. He continued, “I have written a great dealfor adventurous amateurs and for children. And I enjoy this, as I believe that acomposer’s primary duty is to be useful to the community he finds himself in.” He alsonoted that performers should be stretched on occasion, but never broken.

As an author and musicologist Hurd has written many works, including the first and still authoritative biographyof Ivor Gurney, a revision of the Oxford Junior Companion to Music, meticulously researched introductions to seashanties and soldiers’ songs, a students’ outline of European music and brief lives of Vaughan Williams, Elgar andMendelssohn. He also maintained a vigorous yet realistic championing of the life and work of Rutland Boughton.His lifelong association with Novello publishers was acknowledged in his entertaining official history of thatcompany’s early years. Hurd’s last completed book was a co-editing with the late Howard Ferguson of the latter’svoluminous correspondence with Gerald Finzi.

Michael Hurd died in August 2006, aged 78.

Michael Sergeant

8.572505 2

Jonah-Man Jazz (1966) 10:121 Nineveh city was a city of sin 1:242 Jonah, Jonah, listen to me Jonah 1:153 I need a boat, man 1:504 The waves grew high 1:275 When Jonah sank into the sea 2:546 We had a wonderful party 1:22

Prodigal (1989) 13:077 Many years ago 1:588 I want to go to the big bad city 2:029 In the city, free and easy 1:470 Down and out in the city 1:34! Why did I leave the house

of my Father? 1:52@ No use denying 1:12# Kill the fatted calf 1:32$ It was long ago 1:11

Rooster Rag (1975) 13:32% Once upon a time 2:01^ Every time I lay an egg 2:34& I had a terrible dream! 1:05* Oh what a beautiful dream! 1:27( Do me a favour 1:21) There’s a thief in the night 1:46¡ If I were you 1:45™ Beware! Take care! 1:34

Swingin’ Samson (1973) 11:27£ Samson was a hero 1:43¢ When Miss Delilah goes a-walkin’ 2:21∞ Samson, cut your hair 2:08§ Clip and clip 1:15¶ Weak as a kitten 1:44• Ev’rybody came to

the Philistines party 2:16

Captain Coram’s Kids (1987) 18:42

ª Who are these abandoned children? 3:49

º Eight were Duchesses 1:30⁄ What is the humming? 1:04¤ Take my child 2:33‹ See the Foundlings at work! 2:07› I am a little Foundling 2:36fi Here in the pleasant Court Room 2:18fl Captain Coram! 2:45

8.5725053

Michael Hurd (1928-2006)Pop Cantatas

Michael Hurd did not invent the pop cantata but he wascertainly a pioneer in composing brief, witty, sometimeschallenging and above all performable choral music forchildren to enjoy. When Jonah-Man Jazz arrived in1966 to supplement the usual diet of sea shanties, folk-songs and spirituals, young singers and their teachershad modern-sounding music to make and share.Pastiche jazz, blues and rock ‘n’ roll rhythms,memorable tunes and entertaining lyrics proved awinning combination. This recording is the first to besupported by the British Music Society Charitable TrustMichael Hurd Bequest, established to further anappreciation of the composer’s output.

Jonah-Man JazzJonah-Man Jazz, a delightful romp, had its première inDecember 1966 with the boys of Bexley-Erith TechnicalSchool, under Eric J Jones. Bouncing us through thebiblical tale of Jonah in just under eleven minutes, thecomposer noted, “There is no point in approaching thework in any other spirit than the determination to havefun.” Providing his own libretto enabled Hurd to indulgein outrageous wordplay (“Jonah had a whale of a time”)and this piece is by far his best known and mostfrequently performed.

ProdigalProdigal was commissioned by the South AustralianPublic Schools Music Society for the Adelaide Festivalof 1989. Again a sparky reworking of a familiar Biblenarrative, the “doo-be-doo” swing section perfectlycaptures the spirit and anachronistic wit of thesecantatas. This commission is but one example of theperformance and appreciation of Hurd’s workthroughout the English-speaking world.

Rooster RagThe story of Chanticleer, Pertelote and the cunning Fox,Rooster Rag was first performed on 2nd May 1975 at

the Cookham Festival. Local children were under thedirection of Sara Wood, for whom the work was written.Although composed as a cantata, the piece wasoriginally staged, evidence of the flexibility inperformance of all these pieces encouraged by thecomposer. “The thing is to enjoy it,” he urged.

Swingin’ SamsonSwingin’ Samson was first performed in 1973 by theSouthend Boys Choir, for whom it was written. Againdrawing on familiar scripture material, this is a sprightlyfavourite with an acidly witty barber’s shop scene at itsheart. Opening with a lively description of Samsonhimself, the work explains his enormous strength andoutlines his prowess on the field of battle. The finaledescribes the Philistine’s party – set as a square dance –at the end of which Samson pulls down the wholebuilding on their heads.

The composer notes that when the audience isinvited to join in with “Weak as a kitten” they shouldhave no trouble in picking up the melody, sincememorable tunes are a conscious feature of his work forchildren. In the music, the composer states: “You could,of course, play safe and teach it to them before theperformance, but I do not really recommend this.”

Captain Coram’s KidsCaptain Coram’s Kids was commissioned by theHeritage Education Trust and given its première on 12thNovember 1987 at the Banqueting Hall, Whitehall.Described as an eighteenth-century pop cantata, the piecedraws material from the history of the Thomas CoramFoundation for Children most notably from The Story ofthe Foundling Hospital by Maureen Boyd, edited andproduced (1981) by Gene Adams, Museum Adviser ofthe Inner London Education Authority. What might havebeen dryly educational stuff in less gifted hands is livelyand accessible, demonstrating Hurd’s strength in writingfor children without writing down to them.

Michael

HURD(1928-2006)

Pop Cantatas

572505 bk Hurd 24/11/10 13:09 Page 2

8.5725054

John Addison

John Addison trained at the Royal Academy of Music and has appeared in It’s Only MakeBelieve, Chess, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweeney Todd, and Titanic, making his London WestEnd début in the 21st year company of Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre, where hecovered and played the role of Marius. Television credits include Later With Jools Holland(BBC2), Spitting Image (Central), Elton John (Royal Albert Hall) and as Pepicek inBrundibar with the New London Children’s Choir.

Michael Hurd

Michael Hurd was born in Gloucester in 1928. After studying music both at Oxford(where he composed incidental music for Neville Coghill’s 1952 Hamlet) and privatelywith Lennox Berkeley, he taught composition at the Royal Marines School of Musicfrom 1953 to 1959. He then settled in Hampshire, spending the rest of his working lifecomposing, writing, conducting and talking about music. As well as the lastinglypopular works for children on this recording, his compositional output was centred onchoral and vocal pieces, with a marked enthusiasm for and skill at setting verse. TheMissa Brevis (1966), Five Spiritual Songs (1995) and Night Songs of Edward Thomas(1990) are fine examples. Geoffrey Bush, in the New Grove entry of 2001, praised Hurdas a traditionalist, remarking on his lyrical invention, sensitivity to words andunderstanding of the voice. In his own words, Hurd described his music as accessibleand, in the conventional sense, very tuneful. He continued, “I have written a great dealfor adventurous amateurs and for children. And I enjoy this, as I believe that acomposer’s primary duty is to be useful to the community he finds himself in.” He alsonoted that performers should be stretched on occasion, but never broken.

As an author and musicologist Hurd has written many works, including the first and still authoritative biographyof Ivor Gurney, a revision of the Oxford Junior Companion to Music, meticulously researched introductions to seashanties and soldiers’ songs, a students’ outline of European music and brief lives of Vaughan Williams, Elgar andMendelssohn. He also maintained a vigorous yet realistic championing of the life and work of Rutland Boughton.His lifelong association with Novello publishers was acknowledged in his entertaining official history of thatcompany’s early years. Hurd’s last completed book was a co-editing with the late Howard Ferguson of the latter’svoluminous correspondence with Gerald Finzi.

Michael Hurd died in August 2006, aged 78.

Michael Sergeant

8.572505 2

Jonah-Man Jazz (1966) 10:121 Nineveh city was a city of sin 1:242 Jonah, Jonah, listen to me Jonah 1:153 I need a boat, man 1:504 The waves grew high 1:275 When Jonah sank into the sea 2:546 We had a wonderful party 1:22

Prodigal (1989) 13:077 Many years ago 1:588 I want to go to the big bad city 2:029 In the city, free and easy 1:470 Down and out in the city 1:34! Why did I leave the house

of my Father? 1:52@ No use denying 1:12# Kill the fatted calf 1:32$ It was long ago 1:11

Rooster Rag (1975) 13:32% Once upon a time 2:01^ Every time I lay an egg 2:34& I had a terrible dream! 1:05* Oh what a beautiful dream! 1:27( Do me a favour 1:21) There’s a thief in the night 1:46¡ If I were you 1:45™ Beware! Take care! 1:34

Swingin’ Samson (1973) 11:27£ Samson was a hero 1:43¢ When Miss Delilah goes a-walkin’ 2:21∞ Samson, cut your hair 2:08§ Clip and clip 1:15¶ Weak as a kitten 1:44• Ev’rybody came to

the Philistines party 2:16

Captain Coram’s Kids (1987) 18:42

ª Who are these abandoned children? 3:49

º Eight were Duchesses 1:30⁄ What is the humming? 1:04¤ Take my child 2:33‹ See the Foundlings at work! 2:07› I am a little Foundling 2:36fi Here in the pleasant Court Room 2:18fl Captain Coram! 2:45

8.5725053

Michael Hurd (1928-2006)Pop Cantatas

Michael Hurd did not invent the pop cantata but he wascertainly a pioneer in composing brief, witty, sometimeschallenging and above all performable choral music forchildren to enjoy. When Jonah-Man Jazz arrived in1966 to supplement the usual diet of sea shanties, folk-songs and spirituals, young singers and their teachershad modern-sounding music to make and share.Pastiche jazz, blues and rock ‘n’ roll rhythms,memorable tunes and entertaining lyrics proved awinning combination. This recording is the first to besupported by the British Music Society Charitable TrustMichael Hurd Bequest, established to further anappreciation of the composer’s output.

Jonah-Man JazzJonah-Man Jazz, a delightful romp, had its première inDecember 1966 with the boys of Bexley-Erith TechnicalSchool, under Eric J Jones. Bouncing us through thebiblical tale of Jonah in just under eleven minutes, thecomposer noted, “There is no point in approaching thework in any other spirit than the determination to havefun.” Providing his own libretto enabled Hurd to indulgein outrageous wordplay (“Jonah had a whale of a time”)and this piece is by far his best known and mostfrequently performed.

ProdigalProdigal was commissioned by the South AustralianPublic Schools Music Society for the Adelaide Festivalof 1989. Again a sparky reworking of a familiar Biblenarrative, the “doo-be-doo” swing section perfectlycaptures the spirit and anachronistic wit of thesecantatas. This commission is but one example of theperformance and appreciation of Hurd’s workthroughout the English-speaking world.

Rooster RagThe story of Chanticleer, Pertelote and the cunning Fox,Rooster Rag was first performed on 2nd May 1975 at

the Cookham Festival. Local children were under thedirection of Sara Wood, for whom the work was written.Although composed as a cantata, the piece wasoriginally staged, evidence of the flexibility inperformance of all these pieces encouraged by thecomposer. “The thing is to enjoy it,” he urged.

Swingin’ SamsonSwingin’ Samson was first performed in 1973 by theSouthend Boys Choir, for whom it was written. Againdrawing on familiar scripture material, this is a sprightlyfavourite with an acidly witty barber’s shop scene at itsheart. Opening with a lively description of Samsonhimself, the work explains his enormous strength andoutlines his prowess on the field of battle. The finaledescribes the Philistine’s party – set as a square dance –at the end of which Samson pulls down the wholebuilding on their heads.

The composer notes that when the audience isinvited to join in with “Weak as a kitten” they shouldhave no trouble in picking up the melody, sincememorable tunes are a conscious feature of his work forchildren. In the music, the composer states: “You could,of course, play safe and teach it to them before theperformance, but I do not really recommend this.”

Captain Coram’s KidsCaptain Coram’s Kids was commissioned by theHeritage Education Trust and given its première on 12thNovember 1987 at the Banqueting Hall, Whitehall.Described as an eighteenth-century pop cantata, the piecedraws material from the history of the Thomas CoramFoundation for Children most notably from The Story ofthe Foundling Hospital by Maureen Boyd, edited andproduced (1981) by Gene Adams, Museum Adviser ofthe Inner London Education Authority. What might havebeen dryly educational stuff in less gifted hands is livelyand accessible, demonstrating Hurd’s strength in writingfor children without writing down to them.

Michael

HURD(1928-2006)

Pop Cantatas

572505 bk Hurd 24/11/10 13:09 Page 2

8.572505 5

Michael

HURDPop CantatasJonah-Man Jazz

Prodigal

Rooster Rag

Swingin’ Samson

Captain Coram’s Kids

New London Children’s Choir

Ronald Corp8.5725056

Alexander Wells

Alexander Wells has a varied career as accompanist and chamber musician, and hasbeen pianist of the New London Children’s Choir since it was founded. After taking adegree in Modern Languages at Cambridge he went on to study at the Royal College ofMusic with Stephen Savage and Alasdair Graham, and later trained as a répétiteur atthe National Opera Studio in London. He has worked on the music staff at the RoyalOpera house, Covent Garden, and the Glyndebourne and Wexford Festivals, and for anumber of years with the Almeida Opera.

Ronald Corp

Composer, conductor and choral expert, Ronald Corp founded the New London Children’sChoir in 1991. He is also Artistic Director of the New London Orchestra and MusicalDirector of the London Chorus and the Highgate Choral Society. He is a champion of newmusic particularly for children, and an advocate of neglected twentieth-century repertory.His compositions for children include Cornucopia and Kaleidoscope and treble voices alsomake an appearance in the major choral works And all the trumpets sounded, Laudamus,Adonai Echad and A New Song. Many of Corp’s choral works are now on CD including theChristmas Mass (“Hark! Chantage at Christmas” / EMI); Flower Songs and a selection ofchoral music (Forever Child / Dutton) which was released to great critical acclaim in 2006.In 2009 Corp conducted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in a recording (also for Dutton)of his Symphony, Piano Concerto and Guernsey Postcards. Other recent releases by Corp

are his String Quartets (Naxos), and a selection of songs performed by Mark Stone (Stone Records), in 2010. Hishandbook The Choral Singer’s Companion was recently published in its third edition.

Violin 1Nick Miller 5

Violin 2Natalee Jeremic 5

ViolaRachel Bolt 5

CelloMichal Kaznowski 5

Double BassPaul Sherman 1Lucy Hare 1Adam Precious 4

FluteSarah Newbold 1, 5

OboeRuth Bolister 1, 5

ClarinetDavid Fuest 1

BassoonRichard Skinner 5

TrumpetNick Thompson 1

TromboneDavid Whitson 1

Drum KitNigel Shipway 1, 3, 4, 5

Alto SaxophoneMartin Robertson 1

PianoAlexander Wells 2, 3, 4

NarratorsJohn Addison 1, 5

Orla Gill 3Daniel Ison 4

Treble soloistsPeter Shafran 1Noah Max 2Eleanor Burke 3Amaya Pitharas 3James Cameron 3Kate Brooke 4

1 Jonah Man Jazz2 Prodigal3 Rooster Rag4 Swingin’ Samson5 Captain Coram’s Kids

New London Children’s Choir

The New London Children’s Choir offers a uniqueopportunity for girls and boys aged between seven andeighteen to learn to sing and enjoy all kinds of music.Launched by Ronald Corp in 1991, the Choir hasappeared in all the major London concert halls withBritain’s finest symphony orchestras and conductors,has collaborated with opera companies in the UnitedKingdom and abroad, and has made dozens ofrecordings and broadcasts, including songs forchildren’s choir Pigs Could Fly on Naxos. Recently theNew London Children’s Choir members have sung withEnglish National Opera, at St John’s Smith Square and

at Opera Holland Park in Hansel and Gretel, as well as at the 2009 Leicester Square première of the new Disneyfilm A Christmas Carol alongside Andrea Bocelli. Other highlights include the BBC Blue Peter Prom, Britten’s WarRequiem, the Queen’s Birthday Prom at the Royal Albert Hall and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 at the sixtiethanniversary concert of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The choir has also performed around the world, touringwith Lou Reed in 2007 and 2008 in addition to performances at festivals in France, Italy, the United States and theAzores. The Choir has a special commitment to commissioning and has given the premières of over forty newworks by composers such as Diana Burrell, Simon Bainbridge, Howard Skempton, Philip Cashian, Patrick Nunn,Richard Causton, Gary Carpenter and Morgan Hayes, as well as the world première of Ronald Corp’s children’sopera The Ice Mountain in 2010.

New London Orchestra

The New London Orchestra was founded by Ronald Corp in 1988 to fill a gap in London’s orchestral scene byperforming music rarely heard in concert. The success of this founding vision during the intervening years has beenamply demonstrated not only in the concert hall, but in the recording studio, where the orchestra has put its name tosome twenty discs for Hyperion alone, including the best-selling British Light Music Classics series and works bySullivan, Poulenc, Satie and Milhaud among others. A much-anticipated recording of Rutland Boughton’s 1924opera The Queen of Cornwall was released in late 2010. The orchestra’s focus on East London is driven by thesuccess of its Newham Welcomes the World community music project (2007-2012), while the orchestra’s eastLondon concert series in 2009 is continuing to help to raise its profile locally. www.nlo.co.uk

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Michael

HURDPop CantatasJonah-Man Jazz

Prodigal

Rooster Rag

Swingin’ Samson

Captain Coram’s Kids

New London Children’s Choir

Ronald Corp8.5725056

Alexander Wells

Alexander Wells has a varied career as accompanist and chamber musician, and hasbeen pianist of the New London Children’s Choir since it was founded. After taking adegree in Modern Languages at Cambridge he went on to study at the Royal College ofMusic with Stephen Savage and Alasdair Graham, and later trained as a répétiteur atthe National Opera Studio in London. He has worked on the music staff at the RoyalOpera house, Covent Garden, and the Glyndebourne and Wexford Festivals, and for anumber of years with the Almeida Opera.

Ronald Corp

Composer, conductor and choral expert, Ronald Corp founded the New London Children’sChoir in 1991. He is also Artistic Director of the New London Orchestra and MusicalDirector of the London Chorus and the Highgate Choral Society. He is a champion of newmusic particularly for children, and an advocate of neglected twentieth-century repertory.His compositions for children include Cornucopia and Kaleidoscope and treble voices alsomake an appearance in the major choral works And all the trumpets sounded, Laudamus,Adonai Echad and A New Song. Many of Corp’s choral works are now on CD including theChristmas Mass (“Hark! Chantage at Christmas” / EMI); Flower Songs and a selection ofchoral music (Forever Child / Dutton) which was released to great critical acclaim in 2006.In 2009 Corp conducted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in a recording (also for Dutton)of his Symphony, Piano Concerto and Guernsey Postcards. Other recent releases by Corp

are his String Quartets (Naxos), and a selection of songs performed by Mark Stone (Stone Records), in 2010. Hishandbook The Choral Singer’s Companion was recently published in its third edition.

Violin 1Nick Miller 5

Violin 2Natalee Jeremic 5

ViolaRachel Bolt 5

CelloMichal Kaznowski 5

Double BassPaul Sherman 1Lucy Hare 1Adam Precious 4

FluteSarah Newbold 1, 5

OboeRuth Bolister 1, 5

ClarinetDavid Fuest 1

BassoonRichard Skinner 5

TrumpetNick Thompson 1

TromboneDavid Whitson 1

Drum KitNigel Shipway 1, 3, 4, 5

Alto SaxophoneMartin Robertson 1

PianoAlexander Wells 2, 3, 4

NarratorsJohn Addison 1, 5

Orla Gill 3Daniel Ison 4

Treble soloistsPeter Shafran 1Noah Max 2Eleanor Burke 3Amaya Pitharas 3James Cameron 3Kate Brooke 4

1 Jonah Man Jazz2 Prodigal3 Rooster Rag4 Swingin’ Samson5 Captain Coram’s Kids

New London Children’s Choir

The New London Children’s Choir offers a uniqueopportunity for girls and boys aged between seven andeighteen to learn to sing and enjoy all kinds of music.Launched by Ronald Corp in 1991, the Choir hasappeared in all the major London concert halls withBritain’s finest symphony orchestras and conductors,has collaborated with opera companies in the UnitedKingdom and abroad, and has made dozens ofrecordings and broadcasts, including songs forchildren’s choir Pigs Could Fly on Naxos. Recently theNew London Children’s Choir members have sung withEnglish National Opera, at St John’s Smith Square and

at Opera Holland Park in Hansel and Gretel, as well as at the 2009 Leicester Square première of the new Disneyfilm A Christmas Carol alongside Andrea Bocelli. Other highlights include the BBC Blue Peter Prom, Britten’s WarRequiem, the Queen’s Birthday Prom at the Royal Albert Hall and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 at the sixtiethanniversary concert of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The choir has also performed around the world, touringwith Lou Reed in 2007 and 2008 in addition to performances at festivals in France, Italy, the United States and theAzores. The Choir has a special commitment to commissioning and has given the premières of over forty newworks by composers such as Diana Burrell, Simon Bainbridge, Howard Skempton, Philip Cashian, Patrick Nunn,Richard Causton, Gary Carpenter and Morgan Hayes, as well as the world première of Ronald Corp’s children’sopera The Ice Mountain in 2010.

New London Orchestra

The New London Orchestra was founded by Ronald Corp in 1988 to fill a gap in London’s orchestral scene byperforming music rarely heard in concert. The success of this founding vision during the intervening years has beenamply demonstrated not only in the concert hall, but in the recording studio, where the orchestra has put its name tosome twenty discs for Hyperion alone, including the best-selling British Light Music Classics series and works bySullivan, Poulenc, Satie and Milhaud among others. A much-anticipated recording of Rutland Boughton’s 1924opera The Queen of Cornwall was released in late 2010. The orchestra’s focus on East London is driven by thesuccess of its Newham Welcomes the World community music project (2007-2012), while the orchestra’s eastLondon concert series in 2009 is continuing to help to raise its profile locally. www.nlo.co.uk

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8.557581

Also available

8.572113

Michael Hurd was a pioneer in composing brief, witty and, above all, performable choral musicfor children to enjoy. When Jonah-Man Jazz arrived in 1966, young singers and their teachershad modern-sounding music to make and share. Pastiche jazz, blues and rock ‘n’ roll rhythms,memorable tunes and entertaining lyrics proved a winning combination, as they also do inSwingin’ Samson, Rooster Rag, Prodigal and Captain Coram’s Kids. This recording is the first tobe supported by the British Music Society Charitable Trust Michael Hurd Bequest, establishedto further the appreciation of the composer’s output.

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MichaelHURD

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Pop Cantatas

This recording was made with financial assistance from the British Music Society Charitable Trust (Michael Hurd Bequest)A detailed track and artist list can be found inside the booklet

The sung texts can be accessed at www.naxos.com/libretti/572505.htmRecorded at St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead, London, UK, on 8th and 21st November, 2009

Produced, engineered and edited by Michael PonderPublisher: Novello & Co. • Booklet notes: Michael Sergeant

Cover image reproduced by kind permission of Novello & Company Limited

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John Addison, Narrator 1, 5 • Alexander Wells, Piano 2-4

Members of the New London Orchestra 1, 3-5

New London Children’s Choir • Ronald Corp

1-6 Jonah-Man Jazz (1966) 1 10:127-$ Prodigal (1989) 2 13:07%-™ Rooster Rag (1975) 3 13:32£-• Swingin’ Samson (1973) 4 11:27ª-fl Captain Coram’s Kids (1987) 5 18:42