JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809): Ballads: The fleeting Hours, Morning, Youth and Beauty, Werter's Sonnet, Peace and Content, Evening (adapted from Haydn's instrumental music by Samuel Arnold [1742-1802]), Songs: Love in Return, Too late, Mother, An old Story, Contentment, The manly Heart, The Comforts of Inconstancy, The Knotting Song, Molly Carr, Life is a Dream (edited by William Shield [1748-1829]), Canzonettas: Sailor's Song, My Mother bids me bind my Hair, Rondos on the above Canzonettas by Thomas Haigh [1769-1808]).

Description: Shield adapted these songs from Haydn's German originals but in all but a couple of cases, using entirely different poetic texts for their English versions, while Arnold used existing Haydn instrumental music to which to fit English poetry (needless to say, this can get quite confusing but the notes are reasonably good at guiding you through and each "Ballad"'s text in the booklet tells you where the music came from). The only two original Haydn works are the Canzonettas, themselves followed by longer rondos based on them by the composer's pupil Thomas Haigh. Texts included. Emma Kirkby (soprano), Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor), Jenny Thomas (flute), Ian Gammie (guitar), Alastair Ross (square piano), Derek McCulloch (proprietor).