From Blake's 'Milton'

Paul Burnell

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Small Ensemble

1995

3 min.

Program Notes: 'From Blake's 'Milton'' was written in response to a Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) newsletter article which suggested that members may wish to write vocal pieces for the various CoMA ensembles throughout the United Kingdom. The London CoMA Ensemble first performed it in May 1996 at the Brighton Festival Fringe. In this setting of William Blake's words (from the preface to his book 'Milton' ca. 1804-08) the composer imagines the performers in a time before Britain was an Empire - in a landscape, which although it may be green, is also mountainous, overcast and cold enough for the air to become visible when breathing out. The poem is best known as the anthem 'Jerusalem', with music written by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916.
Recording Notes: Included on Paul Burnell's 2023 Album 'So (Not) To Speak'
Record Label: IPBO
Ensemble Name: Paul Burnell