The Art Song

 

Caradoc Press publishes contemporary English composers of what are sometimes called ‘Art Songs’. Songs fitting this description are generally for solo voice with piano, or keyboard accompaniment. Composers through history have been drawn to this combination for its intimacy and expressive power in combining poetry with music through song. The Art Song is a direct relative of the lied (Art Songs in German) typified by the songs of Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann.

 

The Art Song in the English language dates from around 1880 when ballads in English composed for domestic music making started to become more sophisticated under the influence of the German lied. Composers such as Arthur Sullivan, Arthur Somervell, Hubert Parry and Charles Villiers Standford either studied in Germany, or were influenced by German composers, such as Mendelssohn and Wagner.

 

The quality of poetry in English at the time also encouraged the birth of native Art Song in England. Poets such as Tennyson, Robert Browning and Christina Rossetti were eagerly taken up by composers.

 

However, it was the arrival of a slim volume of poems with the title A Shropshire Lad by Alfred Edward Housman in 1896 which really began the development of art song in English. So much so that the poetry of Housman is the most set by composers in the English language after Shakespeare.

 

The combination of piano and a solo voice retains it's special place in music to this day and the composers on this site are among the finest working in the UK today. We hope you will try out their music and visit the shop.

 

News

 

Three Songs for Baritone

 

Three of Elaine's sought after songs in a new set: To Julia, The Dancer and Winter the Huntsman. Now available to try out and buy.

 

Christmas music...

 

It's never to early to think about next yeaer's new carols. We have two carols available from Elaine Hugh-Jones; Torches and the Ashwell Carol

 

September 2015 - Caradoc Press opens!

 

Caradoc Press is pleased to announce that our online shop is now open. Please browse our selection. All our music is available to try out via pdf at your leisure. Purchases are printed on quality paper and sent to you by first class post.

 

We are pleased to be publishing the works of Elaine Hugh-Jones and Nicholas Marshall. Over time we hope to add further major art song composers writing today.