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First of all, I should point out that when I grew up as a 1970s child my parents had a cassette of 'Sing the Songs of Britain', so its soothing melodies are deeply impressed in my early memory, which may bias me somewhat in its favour.
But on rehearing it many years later, aged in my 30s, I can honestly say with all objectivity (and with the benefit of more grown-up musical appreciation) that it is a superbly crafted set of recordings. The vocal performances by the late bass Owen Brannigan (1908-1973) and soprano Elizabeth Harwood (1938-1990) are wonderfully expressive, and adapt themselves effectively to the more folksy songs even while they are trained along operatic lines. Brannigan performs with full-bodied warmth and gusto, at times thunderously powerful, yet equally kindly and (where called for) ironical, while Harwood captures a poignant, almost tragic melancholy without ever becoming cold, and sings sweetly even while her operatic style might seem to convey a certain measure of old-fashioned hauteur. They are supported by a children's choir and mellifluous full orchestral arrangements with very natural rhythmic timing (a far cry from more recent standards of syncopation in some genres of music). The arrangements are often very subtle, and reminiscent of those used in some of the most moving early motion picture soundtracks.
As for the songs themselves, there is hardly a weak track, though perhaps 'John Peel' and 'A Hunting We Will Go' are a little ordinary compared with the rest. 'The Vicar of Bray' and 'The Jolly Miller' are very comical and catchy, the first featuring an enjoyably melodramatic crescendo build-up of sound towards the end and epic choral arrangements with it.
The additional tracks at the end, sung by Richard Lewis, are simpler and performed and arranged in a somewhat melancholic style (often reaching castrato pitch) that evokes an almost monastic sense of solitude! Some of them are very moving, but as a whole they are more average than the Harwood / Brannigan tracks. They can be skipped if required, but don't detract from the quality of the main part of this album.
All in all, this re-issue is a bargain not to be regretted for anyone who enjoys traditional English folk songs and anyone with an appreciation of charming classical musical arrangements accompanied by operatic vocal performance. And don't be misled by the bitty sound quality of the MP3 previews. The full CD recording quality is very high, except on the Richard Lewis tracks at the end, which are more euphonious.
Buy it and be thankful we live in a time when we can all feel a sense of pride in our wonderful inspired UK heritage of music - which first entered our lives via the efforts of school teachers determined to introduce us to the MUSIC TREASURES which exist far beyond the usual "useful-for-jobs" menu of subjects available in most schools.
Note that this revue is based on an older (less costly) "Classics For Plearure" disc of the same name which did not have the extra songs sung by Richard Lewis.
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