Vocal Works

Review of songs by Colin Decio
"such distinctive music."
"...a very definite, individual and attractive musical voice.”
“Song-writing of that quality is a gift not given to many."
"It is fascinating to hear what aural images you create in response to the poetry."
 Peter Smith (Director of the Malvern Festival)

Song-Cycles

​​Cotswold Songs - a cycle of seven songs for soprano and piano. Poems by John Drinkwater
​

1. Old Crow
2. Day
3. May Garden
4. The Lechers
5. Plough
6. Cotswold Love
7. Venus in Arden​

"The album (Cotswold Songs CD) presents a breadth and strength not commonly found in 
contemporary recordings”. 
“Powerful and thought provoking."  - 
“…simple childlike beauty.”
Musician (Union) Magazine

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Songs of Travel - song-cycle for tenor and piano. 
Poems by John Drinkwater
​

1. The Vagabond
2. Mad Tom Tatterman
3. Mamble
4. Two Ships
5. The Toll-Gate House

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Five Songs of England - song-cycle for tenor and piano
Poems by Rupert Brooke, A.E. Houseman, Charles Kingsley 
​and Edward Thomas
​

1. The Soldier 
2. Blue Evening
3. The Grenadier
4. The Three Fishers
5. Adlestrop 

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A Sabbath Day 
- song-cycle for mezzo soprano and classical guitar. 
​Poems by John Drinkwater
​

1. Morning
2. Full Day
3. Dusk​
4. Evensong
5. Night

In five watches, A Sabbath Day paints the scene of a time gone by when chivalrous knights roamed the land and Lancelot and Guinevere still lived and laughed.

John Drinkwater's poems are based upon a walk that he took one day with friends in the Malvern Hills. Each poem has the initials of these friends.

Dedicated to my wife - poet Ingrid Prosser

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​​
​Five Character Songs 
​- song-cycle for high voice and piano
Poems by John Drinkwater, Jill Nightingale, Colin Decio,
Anne Smith, Peggy Decio
​

1. Elizabeth Ann
2. Unlucky Jack
3. The Spinning Wheel
4. Wearing a Happy Hat
5. I wandered along

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​Four Simple Songs
- song-cycle for high voice and piano
​Poems by the composer
​

1. The Stones
2. The Journey
3. To Bed
4. Brightly​

John Drinkwater

​One fine Sunday I came across a little book of poems in a Malvern bookshop entitled Tides by Dymock poet, John Drinkwater. On reading the poems I was immediately able to hear them to music and set about composing a new song-cycle of seven songs for high voice and piano. As several Gloucestershire place names, (such as Rodborough, Campden, Stow, Apperley and Gloucester), are mentioned in the poem Cotswold Love, I decided to title the complete song-cycle - Cotswold Songs.

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Rupert Brooke

Two Ships 
​Matt Spillett - Tenor

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Osip Mandelstam

​​Three Songs - for high voice and piano

1. The Black Sun - (Osip Mandelstam)
2. Flowers - (DH Lawrence)
3. ​Farewell - (Colin Decio)

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"His (Decio's) setting of Edward Thomas's most famous poem, Adlestrop, was particularly accomplished"
Roger Jones Glos. Echo

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Single Songs

The Headless Bird - high voice and piano poem Nikki McBeth
​
​Flowers - high voice and piano poem by D.H. Lawrence

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Ensemble Works

Luto Gratulante 
- setting of a Medieval poem about 'Rejoicing in the Mire'
​for two sopranos and one contralto (a capella)

Of a Rose - setting medieval text
 - for mezzo-soprano, hand bells, piano, flute, clarinet in Bb and cello

Laudamus Te - duration 15 mins
 - for treble chorus, two treble soloists, harp and hand bells (two players)
  I - Kyrie
  II - Christe
  III - Gloria
  IV - The Lord's Prayer
  V - Sanctus
  VI - Benedictus
​  VII - Agnus Dei

"Here I Lie" - a comic song for four solo voices - anon
​SATB a capella

"Here Lie I and my four daughters killed by drinking Cheltenham's waters..."
   - anon

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Choral Works

The Steps of Evermore - text by composer
​for SATB choir and orchestra, duration 20 mins

​The Lamentation of Jeremiah - text Old Testament
for SATB choir and piano, duration 10 mins

The Witches Spell - text by composer
for  junior school choir & piano

Could it be true?
for junior school choir and piano

​Wenceslas
​for soprano, mezzo-soprano, kinnor harp and crotales

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Organ Works