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 

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

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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

A Sabbath Day, in five watches, 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 By the Waterside

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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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Edward Thomas

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Single Songs

The Headless Bird - high voice and piano
​ poem by 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
​SATB a capella

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

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​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

The Dry-Boned Saint - 13th century text
for SATB choir and piano, duration 4:47 mins

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

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Organ Works