Pan's Anniversary 

Albion Record's album 'Pan's Anniversary' is released on 17 June 2022, with five premiere recordings.
'Pan's Anniversary' is a masque by Ben Jonson, first performed at the Court of King James in 1621. It was performed again in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1905 and Vaughan Williams was commission to write music for it, including four great Hymns to Pan for three soloists, chorus and orchestra. Time was short, so Vaughan Williams delegated some of the dance arrangements to his friend Gustav Holst.
There are two 'speaking' parts - a Shepherd and a Fencer, and these are played here by Timothy West and Samuel West.
The soloists are Mary Bevan, Sophie Bevan (sopranos) and Jess Dandy (contralto). They are joined by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, and Britten Sinfonia under the baton of William Vann (who was plastered, as you can see from the video, but he is not easily put off his stroke).
Thomas Gould, the leader of Britten Sinfonia, plays some dances arranged for solo violin, or violin with side-drum.
In addition to this major work, we have three shorter (but lovely) premieres. 'Peace, Come Away' and 'To Sleep! To Sleep!’ are two settings of poems by Tennyson that Vaughan Williams wrote when he was a student. They have been orchestrated and edited by the composer Christopher Gordon, who also orchestrated 'Margery Wentworth', a much later setting of poetry by John Skelton.
Finally, Timothy Burke made an arrangement of the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for voices and a string octet as an innovative lockdown project. This is the first full recording with the choir (of 39) and octet under one roof.
This was a very expensive project, and we acknowledge with thanks financial support from The Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust and many members and supporters of The Ralph Vaughan Williams Society and Albion Records.