Vaughan Williams Butterworth Somervell Christopher Maltman Roger Vignoles - Songs Of Travel A Shropshire Lad A Broken Arc

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Review by Charlie Hogan

Album Review: Songs of Travel, A Shropshire Lad, A Broken Arc – Vaughan Williams, Butterworth, Somervell (2003) Released under the Hyperion label in 2003, this album is like a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon—intimate, layered, and deeply emotional. Featuring baritone Christopher Maltman’s rich voice paired with Roger Vignoles’ evocative piano playing, it’s one of those records that sneaks up on you. The mix of Romantic and Modern styles creates this bittersweet tension throughout, as if the music itself can’t quite decide whether to look back at golden memories or face forward into uncertainty. And honestly? That duality hits hard. The album pulls together works by Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth, and Arthur Somervell, all inspired by poetry about wanderlust, loss, and fleeting youth. Tracks like “Is My Team Ploughing?” and “Bredon Hill” stick with me for days after listening—not because they’re flashy but because they feel so human. Take “Is My Team Ploughing?” for example. It’s haunting. The dialogue between a dead man and his living friend feels raw and unfiltered, almost too real. Maltman brings this quiet intensity to the vocals, making every word land like a punch to the gut. You can hear the ache in his voice when he asks, “Is my girl happy now?” And Vignole’s sparse piano accompaniment doesn’t try to overcompensate—it just sits there, steady and heartbreaking, letting the silence speak louder than any crescendo could. This track isn’t just sung; it’s lived. Then there’s “Bredon Hill,” which feels like stepping into someone else’s dream. Based on Housman’s poem, it starts off nostalgic, painting pictures of village bells ringing on sunny mornings. But halfway through, the tone shifts—the sunshine fades, and you’re left with this heavy sense of longing. Butterworth knew how to write melodies that crawl under your skin, and Maltman delivers them with such sincerity that it’s impossible not to get swept away. By the end, I’m always reaching for tissues, even though I’ve heard it a dozen times before. What makes this album special isn’t just the music—it’s the way everything comes together. From Julian Millard’s pristine engineering to Simon Perry’s guiding hand as executive producer, no detail feels overlooked. Even the booklet design by Terry Shannon adds to the experience, tying the whole thing up in a neat little package. Listening to this record feels like flipping through an old photo album. Each song captures a moment frozen in time, full of beauty and sadness. If anything, it reminds me how fragile life is—and how lucky we are to have art like this to make sense of it all. Oh, and here’s something random: Frederick Walker’s illustrations for the cover? They’re gorgeous, sure, but they also kind of remind me of doodles I’d find in the margins of my high school notebooks. Weird, right? But maybe that’s fitting—an album about journeys and growing up should feel personal, even imperfect. So yeah, give this one a spin if you want music that stays with you long after the last note fades. Just don’t blame me if you end up staring out the window thinking about your own messed-up journey.

Download Vaughan Williams Butterworth Somervell Christopher Maltman Roger Vignoles - Songs Of Travel A Shropshire Lad A Broken Arc
Artist: Vaughan Williams Butterworth Somervell Christopher Maltman Roger Vignoles
Album: Songs Of Travel A Shropshire Lad A Broken Arc
Rating: 4.67

Table of Contents

Download

Filename: vaughan-williams-butterworth-somervell-christopher-maltman.zip
  • MP3 size: 150.5 mb
  • FLAC size: 1424.5 mb

Tracks

TrackDurationPreview
From Easter Day2:15
The Worst Of It3:15
When I Was One-and-twenty1:23
Youth And Love3:19
The Roadside Fire2:14
Diaphenia2:21
'Bredon Hill' And Other Songs(13:38)
On The Idle Hill Of Summer3:16
Bright Is The Ring Of Words1:50
Oh Fair Enough Are Sky And Plain2:33
The Vagabond3:10
When The Lad For Longing Sighs1:34
The Lads In Their Hundreds2:15
Look Not In My Eyes2:01
My Star1:28
Songs Of Travel(23:48)
Bredon Hill4:25
The Infinite Shining Heavens2:10
Is My Team Ploughing?3:41
Think No More, Lad1:20
After3:38
With Rue My Heart Is Laden1:25
Meeting At Night1:39
To Gratiana Dancing And Singing4:21
Let Beauty Awake2:01
I Have Trod The Upward And The Downward Slope1:45
Nay But You, Who Do Not Love Her1:39
Loveliest Of Trees2:26
Such A Starved Bank Of Moss1:36
In Dreams2:35
Epitaph On Salathiel Pavy3:55
The Year's At The Spring1:20
Whither Must I Wander?3:58
Six Songs From 'A Shropshire Lad'(13:30)
A Broken Arc(17:29)

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Catalog Numbers

CDA67378

Labels

Hyperion

Listen online

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Formats

  • CD
  • Album
  • Reissue

Companies

RoleCompany
Phonographic Copyright (p)Hyperion Records Limited
Copyright (c)Hyperion Records Limited
Recorded AtAll Saints Church, East Finchley

Credits

RoleCredit
Baritone VocalsChristopher Maltman
Booklet EditorTim Parry
DesignTerry Shannon
EngineerJulian Millard
Executive-ProducerSimon Perry
IllustrationFrederick Walker
PianoRoger Vignoles
ProducerMark Brown

Notes

  • Made in England
  • Recorded November 7-9, 2002.
  • ℗ & © Hyperion Records Ltd, London, MMIII
  • Duration 79'20
  • Recorded in All Saints' Church, East Finchley, London, United Kingdom, on 7-9 November 2002

Barcodes

  • Barcode: 0 34571 17378 8
  • Label Code: LC 7533
  • SPARS Code: DDD
  • Barcode: 034571173788
  • Rights Society: MCPS

About Vaughan Williams Butterworth Somervell Christopher Maltman Roger Vignoles

Born: 1872-10-12 (Down Ampney, United Kingdom) Died: August 26, 1958 (Hanover Terrace, London, United Kingdom) Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer. He was a friend of who studied with ; known particularly for "The Lark Ascending," written during WWI.

Real Name

    • Ralph Vaughan Williams

Name Vars

  • Barnes
  • Dr. R Vaughan Williams
  • Dr. R. Vaughan Williams
  • J. Vaughan Williams
  • P. Vaughan Williams
  • R V Williams
  • R V-Williams
  • R Vaughan Williams
  • R. V. Williams
  • R. Vaug. Williams
  • R. Vaughan Williams
  • R. Vaughan Williams, O.M.
  • R. Vaughan-Williams
  • R. Vaughn Williams
  • R. Vaughn-Williams
  • R. W. Vaughan Williams
  • R. W. Williams
  • R. Williams
  • R.V. Williams
  • R.V.W.
  • R.V.Williams
  • R.Vaughan Williams
  • R.Vaughn Williams
  • R.W.V.
  • RVW
  • Ralph V Williams
  • Ralph V. Williams
  • Ralph Vaugham Williams
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams' Lark Ascending
  • Ralph Vaughan-Williams
  • Ralph Vaughn Williams
  • Ralph Vaugn Williams
  • Ralph Williams
  • Raphe Vaughan Williams
  • Robert Vaughan Williams
  • Sir Ralph Vaughan Williams
  • The Composer
  • V Williams
  • V. Williams
  • Vaugham Williams
  • Vaughan
  • Vaughan - Williams
  • Vaughan WIlliams
  • Vaughan Wiliams
  • Vaughan Williams
  • Vaughan Williams Weekend
  • Vaughan Williams, Ralph
  • Vaughan-Williams
  • Vaughan-Williams R.
  • Vaughan/Williams
  • Vaughn Williams
  • Vaughn-Williams
  • Williams
  • Воан-Уильямс
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Interesting fact about Album

Did you know that the album *Songs of Travel: A Shropshire Lad, A Broken Arc* combines works by three British composers—Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth, and Arthur Somervell—all inspired by poetry? The music captures the essence of early 20th-century England, blending Romantic and Modern styles. One standout detail is that the track *"Is My Team Ploughing?"* from Butterworth's settings of A.E. Housman’s poems, reflects both beauty and heartbreak, with its haunting question-and-answer structure. Baritone Christopher Maltman brings these emotional layers to life, while pianist Roger Vignoles adds depth with his sensitive accompaniment. It’s like stepping into a time capsule of British countryside and soulful reflection.