This Day

On 14 December 1918, women were permitted to stand for Parliament and were granted the vote for the first time in British history. As part of the centenary celebrations for this milestone and to raise awareness of persistent inequalities in society, Blossom Street presents repertoire by famous and lesser-known female composers, both living and those from previous generations, including Rebecca Clarke’s Ave Maria, Judith Weir's Holy Innocents, Kerry Andrew's Night-Time Songs and Elizabeth Poston's The Water of Tyne.

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All of the performers on the Naxos disc This Day, recorded in 2018 and released in January 2019, are women, showcasing works for upper voices. 

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Blossom Street now plans to take this programme on the road!  If you are a promoter, festival or venue, and wish to discuss a possible performance, please get in touch here; we would be delighted to hear from you. 

The Recording Team

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Sopranos: Vanessa Bowers, Jillian Christie, Melissa Davies, Ellie Martin, Elinor Jane Moran, Emily Wenman

Altos: Felicity Buckland, Rosie Clifford, Lucilla Graham, Clara Kanter, Philippa Thomas, Emma Watkinson

Pianist: Annabel Thwaite

Organist: Anna Lapwood

Clarinettist: Hannah Lawrance

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Producer: Tom Shorter

Engineer and editor: James Bull

Booklet notes: Katy Hamilton 

Cover art: Jillian Christie

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We are extremely grateful for the support of a number of trusts and individuals, without whose help

this disc would not have been possible.  Our enormous thanks go to:

The Ambache Charitable Trust, the Follett Trust, the Gemma Classical Music Trust, the Golsoncott Foundation, the Melos Trust, the Music Reprieval Trust, Margaret and Francis Arnold, Heather Ashford, Chris Banks, Toria Banks, Bill and Sally Baker, Becky Dell Music Academy, Alison Benton, Brian Blandford, Robert D Bousfield, Lesley Brook, Anthea Bruges, Tim and Kate Bowers, George Burgess, Daniel Campbell, Celia Catchpole, John Chambers, Mike Clemens, Sharon Crawford, Nancy Crick, GenevieveCuming, James Dixon, Nigel Edmund-Jones, Sally Floyer, Tom, Lel and Harriet Gillingwater,Paula and Patrick Grossman, Chris Gunness, Maria Hankey, Fiona and David Harris, Jack Hickish, Ivan Jacoby, Hannah Kanter, Joseph Kay, Giles Keeble, Jo Keogh, Tim Kew, John Leather, Erica Leyshon, Susan van der Linden, John and Sue Love, Rik Ludlow, Sylvia MacWhirter, Mansfield Choral Society, Tessa Marchington, Jane Martin, Michael Martin, George Matthews, the Matthiesen Foundation, David Mazower, Jill McIntyre, Tom McIntyre, Anne Mercer, Melanie Michel, Frank Miller, Laurel Neighbour, Peter Niven, Alice Victoria Owen, June Parsons, Alex Patterson, Alyanee Peacock, Sabrina Pullen, Buzzy Rawlings, Eric and Marjorie Rawstron, Philip and Jan Rawstron, Andrea Russell, Rotary Club of Warwick Avon, Melissa Sampson, Carol Short, Caroline Simonds, Tony and Kay Speakman, Carole and Warwick Stanton, Susan Jane Stevenson, Angela Stewart, Louise Stewart, Hilary Summers,  Trausti Þór Sverrisson, Kathryn Taylor, Malcolm and Helen Thomas, Johann Ting, Jean Valsler, Kate Vang, Mia Violentano, Sandra Walker, Annette Ward, Nick and Linda Wenman, Matthew Williamson, Francesca Wilson, Lynda and Andrew Wilson, Matthew Wood, Len and Barbara Wooding, Christopher Wray, Fiona Yeomans

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Recorded: 17–19 May 2018 at St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood

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  Works Featured in This Day

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• Night-Time Songs                                           Kerry Andrew  

• The Ghost of Combermere Abbey                 Judith Bingham           

• Song of the Dane Women                              Hilary Campbell

• Ave Maria                                                       Rebecca Clarke

• O Splendidissima Gemma                             Stef Conner    

• Come Home, Little Sister                               Cecilia McDowall                    

•          As I Sat Under a Holly Tree                            Imogen Holst

• A Little Childe There is Ibore                          Jane Joseph

• Misterium Mirabile                                          Nicola LeFanu

• This Day                                                         Elizabeth Maconchy   

• The Sweet Spring                                           Roxanna Panufnik      

• The Water of Tyne                                          Elizabeth Poston

• Holy Innocents                                                Judith Weir                  

• Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep            Alison Willis    

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