Crispin Lewis &
Raymond Lewis

Herbert Murrill (1909-1952)

Songs of Herbert Murrill

In Youth Is Pleasure
Piggësnye
I Loved A Lass
Love Is A Sickness
Phillada Flouts Me
Roister Doister
From ‘Sonatina For Pianoforte’: Arioso
Sleep
The Bachelor
A Thanksgiving to God

Herbert Murrill is probably best known for his wonderful Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in E, which is performed pretty much every other week in an Anglican church somewhere in the world.

Herbert Murrill (1909-1952)

Self-Portrait (Murrill)

i Of Self: Portrait of the Artist, ii Of Birth: A Song for Lovers, iii Of Death: Suburban Funerals

Murrill wrote Self-Portrait, to a text by the contemporary writer Geoffrey Dunn, a slightly older contemporary of Murrill, in 1929. In rather over-ornate 1920s cleverness the poet reflects upon his Self, Birth, Death and ‘Extranea’ subtitled Motum perpetuum. This at least gives Murrill something into which to dig and he responds suitably with wry reflection. In the second poem there are hints of Finzi, whilst the piano writing is cleverly wrought in the third where the vocal line is decidedly demotic. Of Death; Suburban Funerals is an off-hand setting with a dappled right hand full of colour.

Herbert Murrill (1909-1952)

Trois Poèmes (Murrill)

i Chanson, ii Chanson Petite, iii Le Bonbon

The 3 Poèmes are slightly unusual in taking two texts by Jacques Prévert and one by Robert Desnos and these ultra-short c.45-second songs are pithy, sparkling and full of boulevardier feel.

Performers

Crispin Lewis & Raymond Lewis (Vocal/Piano Duo)

• Crispin Lewis - Baritone
• Raymond Lewis - Piano

Singer and conductor Crispin Lewis studied at the Royal College of Music (postgraduate) and at Trinity Laban Conservatoire (undergraduate). He has directed his own vocal ensembles many times, including at Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square, Hall One at Kings Place, the Royal Opera House, Linbury Theatre, the South Bank Centre, and in many BBC Radio 3 broadcasts. He also directs two choral societies. Crispin has performed opera roles including Salieri in Rimsky Korsakov’s Mozart and Salieri; King Rene in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta; Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte; Figaro in Mozart’s Nozze di Figaro, and Leporello in Don Giovanni. He gives solo vocal recitals regularly and is the soloist for many choral societies. He is also the director of Choritalia, a summer school in Tuscany for choral singers. Crispin has been a member of the professional vocal quartet at the church of St Giles-in-the-Fields, London since 2016, and has sung at all of the major English Cathedrals. His new album of the songs of Herbert Murrill, with Raymond Lewis and Rachel Broadbent, will be released in September by First Hand Records.

Raymond Lewis has performed on London’s South Bank as solo pianist, in chamber music, as continuo player, and as conductor. As pianist, his duo partners have included the violinist, Ralph Holmes, Alexander Boyarsky (sometime principal cellist of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra) and Pablo Casals protégé, Rohan de Saram. As organist he has played at most of the major cathedrals in the UK, and given solo recitals in Chichester Cathedral, the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban, Rochester Cathedral, Central Hall Westminster, and on numerous occasions at Southwark Cathedral and St David’s Cathedral. As a composer his compositions have been performed at the Barbican Centre, The Royal Festival Hall, St Alban’s Abbey, and Liverpool Cathedral.