TODAY AND FRIDAY!

Be there for this great new competition, in which 17 singer-pianist duos—boiled down, with great difficulty, from a whopping 135—will honor British composers who happen to be (or happen to have been) female.

Semi-finals today January 19, with the final round on January 24, both at the Royal Over-Seas League, London.

Tickets here. Quick précis here. Full program here, with full background information, including bios of semifinalists, panel, and composers.

“ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST, WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT“—JUST OUT!

“The entire song output of Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) receives luxury treatment from a classy line-up on this engrossing release…So many treasures vie for attention…The music-making throughout displays riveting eloquence and burning conviction, with Kitty Whately and Nicholas Phan in particular operating at the very top of their game. Really excellent production values, a most helpful annotation, and complete texts are included….I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it feature in the 2026 Awards.—Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone (January 2026)

One of the great contributions to the song-literature of the twentieth century, in masterly performances by Kitty Whately, Grammy-winner Nicholas Phan, Gweneth Ann Rand, Roderick Williams, Anna Tilbrook, Max Baillie, and members of the Seattle Chamber Music Society. Includes 23 world-premiere recordings and complete texts and specially-commissioned translations by Rafaël Newman. Full details here. Preview video here. Interview with Kitty Whately here. Advance single here. And don’t miss Nick Phan’s gorgeous documentary.

Buy it here.

FORTHCOMING—A NEW “MOST HIGH”!

This magnificent collection captures Clarke’s setting of Psalm 91, “He That Dwelleth in the Secret Place of the Most High,” as never before, in all its urgency and strangeness. Built around the world premiere recording of Kenneth Leighton’s Missa Christi, the disc also features Clarke’s Ave Maria and premiere recordings of motets by Imogen Holst and Harold Darke, the latter still in manuscript. Beautiful singing, of course, and Owen Rees’s booklet essay is worth the price of admission, all by itself.

Details here. Pre-order here. Releases March 6.

BUILT BACK BETTER

It’s never too early to start programming for the holidays, so now’s the time to get hold of this delectable contrapuntal mashup of “God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen,” “Silent Night,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful,” freshly engraved from Clarke’s autographs, and have yourself a merry little rest-of-the-year enjoying updated editorial notes incorporating discoveries made since the original issue in 2012, along with two Christmas cards from the composer herself.

Available in print and digital editions.

THE ABSOLUTE LAST WORD—JUST OUT!

With this delicious bauble, all of the compositions that Clarke intended for performance and left in a performable state are published and available throughout the world. For the tidy-minded, that leaves only a single counterpoint-exercise and two fragments still in manuscript, so shoot us.

Available in print (with a gorgeous surprise on the back cover), or as a download.

A de-facto Complete Works Edition, nearly fifty years in the making! We couldn’t be happier, or prouder.

THE NEXT-TO-LAST WORD—JUST OUT!

ClarNan’s five volumes of Clarke’s vocal music—most of it published for the first time—comprise the songs she wrote as an uninstructed amateur, her first experiments as a fledgling professional, and her fabulous duets, all co-edited by Nicholas Phan, the brilliant Grammy-winning tenor who has done so much for Clarke’s music in the concert-hall, and Christopher Johnson, Clarke’s great-nephew by marriage, who has been curating her music for more than forty years.

With this landmark publication, all of Clarke’s vocal compositions known to exist in a performable state are available in practical editions aimed at the widest possible range of musicians, students, and music-lovers. Nicholas Phan’s introduction explains why this is so important.

Order here for U.S. shipping, or here for global shipping. Either way, don’t miss the charming preview of “Vor der Türe” here.

BACK AGAIN, IN A NEW EDITION

Prelude, Danse bizarre, and the sublime Nocturne are available again, freshly edited from Clarke’s autographs, with an updated editorial apparatus incorporating discoveries made since the original issue in 2012, photographs of Clarke’s Stradivarius, and a facsimile of an instructive manuscript page.

Available in print and digital editions. Each link provides a full set of demonstration videos.

NEW

Clarke’s last known compositions for violin—a duo and two brief unaccompanied solos, Lament and Jig/March, all evidently intended as teaching-pieces—have just been published by Sleepy Puppy Press. For consistency, and to facilitate instructional use, the solos have been provided with optional accompaniments for a second violin, or for piano, by Andrew and Alan Bell.

Available in print and digital editions. Each link provides a full set of demonstration videos. For the story behind the publication, see here.

ESSENTIAL REPERTOIRE 1

Clarke’s (literally) ravishing setting of John Donne’s “Stay O sweet, and do not rise!” is now available from Sleepy Puppy Press—freshly engraved, with an updated introduction and an appropriately sensuous cover-design. And don’t miss the glorious performance by Nicholas Phan and Brooklyn Rider, whether on our Video page, or by following either of the links immediately below.

Available in print and digital editions.

ESSENTIAL REPERTOIRE 2

Three staples of Clarke’s recital repertoire—her arrangements of Grainger’s Sussex Mummer’s Christmas Carol, Marchant’s Irish Melody, and Parry’s Sarabande—and her remarkable cadenza for the “Handel”/Casadesus concerto, are now available from Sleepy Puppy Press, in an edition that includes Clarke’s fingerings and bowings and Caroline Castleton’s insightful analysis of what it all tells us about Clarke’s playing. Barring some new discovery, this means that every note Clarke wrote for her own instrument is now published.

Available in print and digital editions.

ESSENTIAL REPERTOIRE 3

In a watershed moment first anticipated more than twenty years ago, Clarke’s two big pieces for violin and piano, carefully edited from the composer’s manuscripts and autograph performance-materials, are now available from Sleepy Puppy Press. This means that all of Clarke’s concert works are now published and in general circulation throughout the world—a landmark for Clarke, and for the chamber-music repertoire at large.

Available in print and digital editions: the three-movement Sonata in D here and here; and the imposing single-movement towards a Sonata in G here and here. For the story behind the publications, see here.

See our Discography page for two superb recordings of the pair.

ESSENTIAL REPERTOIRE 4

“Open harmonies laden with parallel fourths and thick luscious doublestops in both parts…. A cathartic outlet sorely needed in these challenging times.”—Gregory K. Williams, Journal of the American Viola Society (Fall 2020)

The first publication of Clarke’s long-lost third duet for viola (or violin) and cello—a heart-melting setting of the tune best known as “Londonderry Air.” For a preview of the piece’s fascinating history and back-story click here. Order here.

ESSENTIAL REPERTOIRE 5

Famous in her time for the power and brilliance of her piano-parts, Clarke wrote very little for the instrument alone, but what she did write was choice, as amply demonstrated in this pair of new releases by Simon Callaghan, for whom no praise is adequate.

Callaghan’s edition of the works themselves (shown at left, available here, here, and from fine retailers worldwide) is carefully drawn from the original manuscript sources, reproducing Clarke’s fascinating fingerings of her transcription from Bach’s Magnificat in D.

And in a ravishing CD (Lyrita SRCD408, available here or here), Callaghan pairs all three pieces with the complete piano works of William Busch, for whom Clarke wrote Cortège. “Callaghan…serves these pieces as they so richly deserve, with a fineness of touch that conveys all the sensitivity in which they abound. Paul Conway’s erudite program-notes give real pleasure.”—Jean Lacroix, Crescendo Magazine (10 December 2022)

ESSENTIAL REPERTOIRE 6

“A gold mine, especially for the voice teacher or music educator, and for those creating vocal ensemble or chamber music programs….Of special interest are three hitherto unpublished works by Rebecca Clarke [Nacht für Nacht, Sleep, and Hymn to Pan]….Includes phonetic and poetic translations,…pictures of each composer, their biographic information,…[and] resources for the performer desiring to delve deeper.”—Kathleen Roland-Silverstein, Journal of Singing (November/December 2022)

Available here, with a complete table of contents. The parallel recording is available here and here.

ESSENTIAL READING 2

WINNER OF THE 2024 ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY STORYTELLING AWARD and A PRESTO BOOK OF THE YEAR!

Drawing on a vast range of documentary sources, Leah Broad‘s group biography of Clarke, Ethel Smyth, Dorothy Howell, and Doreen Carwithen promises to revolutionize the field.

“Clarke, incontestably the finest composer of the four…comes across as a thoroughly grounded professional, confident in her ability to work and create on her own terms….Quartet is a page-turner; written in a lively, jargon-free style which Broad’s fellow academic writers could do worse than study. At the end of it all, you really do feel you know these women, and (the acid test) you’re eager to hear their music. They didn’t change the musical world, but they might yet change yours.”—Richard Bratby, Gramophone (July 2023)

Available in cloth here, in paper here, and from iBooks and Kindle.

ESSENTIAL READING 3

“All violists owe a debt of gratitude to David Bynog for this masterful book, which will serve as an inexhaustible resource for decades to come.”—Andrew H. Weaver, Journal of the American Viola Society (Spring 2021)

“Bynog…is uniquely qualified to introduce his instrument’s repertoire to all interested readers regardless of background….Footnotes and an up-to-date bibliography complete this indispensable publication.”—Carlos María Solare, The Strad (August 24, 2021)

“He knows the music inside-out and is the ideal guide….Will be invaluable to program-note writers and casual music lovers.”—Laurence Vittes, Strings Magazine (May 17, 2021)

Bynog’s crackerjack chapter on Clarke’s Sonata, based on a meticulous survey of all the known primary sources, includes the first publication of Pomposo, an Albumblatt Clarke composed in her ninetieth year. Available in cloth, paper, Apple Books, or Kindle.

NEW

A mesmerizing recital, including a beautiful performance of Clarke’s I’ll Bid My Heart Be Still, along with compelling pieces by three of her suitors—Percy Hilder Miles, Cecil Forsyth, and James Friskin—and some of the best ragtime you’re ever likely to hear (she was an early fan).

Available on CD with Mallinson’s terrific essay, and for download, without. Either way, highly recommended.

A WORLD PREMIERE—AND A NEW STANDARD

The benchmark collection of Clarke’s music featuring viola, this magnificent disc includes the only recorded performance of Chinese Puzzle that precisely observes Clarke’s timing, and the world-première recording of the recently discovered Irish Melody (see “Essential Repertoire 3,” above). Available here. Also here, with a truly cool split-screen video of the Sonata’s scherzo.

“All of the works on this recording are beautifully crafted, and played in exemplary fashion….Recommend[ed] with the utmost enthusiasm.—Ken Meltzer, Fanfare 46/2 (November/December 2022)

“Béranger’s big-boned tone and pleasantly bottom-heavy instrument …are a delight in the Viola Sonata….The gently hypnotic Morpheus and gravely beautiful Passacaglia are equally attractive, and the Dvořák-ish Dumka is great fun.”—Katherine Cooper, Presto Editor’s Choices (August 2022)

“A MUST-HAVE”—WITH A GREAT NEW ‘SEAL MAN’

“The disturbing darkness of Rebecca Clarke’s scena-like ‘The Seal Man’ is communicated vividly….A must-have recording, not only for those who are devoted fans of Williams’s art but also those who are entranced by this wonderful repertoire.”—Jeremy Dibble, Gramophone (January 2023)

“★★★★ The orchestration of all these songs is as careful and perceptive as one would expect from a musician who interprets them with such finesse…. No other singer today inhabits this repertoire so completely and movingly.”—Andrew Clements, The Guardian (December 1, 2022)

This “new English songbook” by baritone Roderick Williams offers a version of Clarke’s The Seal Man that has to be heard to be believed, along with Vaughan Williams’s House of Life and Butterworth’s Housman cycle, and selections by Ireland, Boyle, Browne, Gipps, Dring, Burton, and Farrar. Don’t even stop to think: here, here, here, or wherever else you like to buy.

“STAR POWER”

“Schultz emerges as a master storyteller….In addition to her instinctual projection of words and eloquent phrase-shaping, her vocal colour morphs seamlessly from one register to another, each more alluring than the last.”—David Patrick Stearns, Gramophone

“Essential.”—Opera News (January 2023). “Star power, especially in the brilliant selections by Rebecca Clarke….Critic’s Choice. ★”—Maria Mazzaro, Opera News (October 2022)

One of the best recital-discs in living memory, the recording also features Clarke’s Down by the Salley Gardens; Tiger, Tiger; Cradle Song; and The Seal Man, performed by one of the best teams in the world today. Buy here. If you need persuading, here’s an interesting interview with Schultz.

PROMISE KEPT

James Newby and Joseph Middleton’s magnificent new recital disc includes the latest entry in the Seal Man Hit Parade (see the two items immediately above, for example), and it’s a doozy—an important moment in what looks like a New Golden Age for Clarke’s songs.

Of course, The Seal Man is a song the way Tristan is a musical, and what Newby and Middleton get out of the crescendo beginning at “Then they went down into the sea together” is almost overwhelming, well worth the price of admission all by itself. Like Newby’s earlier broadcast performance with Simon Lepper, it has all the urgency of breaking news. Set within a fascinating program of English song from Elgar and Somervell to Jonathan Dove and Errolynn Wallen, this one’s a keeper.

Available here.

NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE

Nominated for a 2023 Fryderyk Award (Poland’s highest honor, equivalent to the Grammies or the BRITs), this is far and away the finest recording yet issued of Clarke’s Sonata in her own alternate version for cello, featuring playing of breathtaking brilliance and sensitivity by Wojciech Fudala and Michał Rot, a duo based at the Academy of Music in Łódź. The fascinating program includes transcriptions of pieces by Szymanowski (Roxana’s Song and the Violin Sonata, Op. 9) and Bloch (Nigun), along with Fudala’s mesmerizing arrangement of Clarke’s The Cloths of Heaven.

This one will haunt your dreams. Buy at once, here or here.

ASSOCIATED BOARD TITLES

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music includes eight works by Clarke in its exams-repertoire. Viola: I’ll Bid My Heart Be Still (grade 5); Lullaby (grade 6); and Morpheus (grade 8). Cello: I’ll Bid My Heart Be Still (grade 7); and Passacaglia on an Old English Tune (grade 8). Singing: Down by the Salley Gardens (grade 6); Infant Joy (grade 7); June Twilight and Shy One (grade 8).

Performance-materials and complete information about syllabuses are available here.

A NEW PERFORMANCE RESOURCE FOR CLARKE’S ‘AVE MARIA’

Here’s a cool new thing: practice-tracks for Clarke’s exquisite Ave Maria, for upper voices—a consistent best-seller since publication by Oxford University Press in 1998. If you’ve ever had trouble finding that G-sharp at “Ora pro nobis,” you’ll understand the utility of this at once.

Choral tracks here. Preview the entire piece here. Discography here. Sheet music here, or from your regular supplier.

AND FOR THE YOUNGER SET…

…there’s a concise and totally on-point account of Clarke’s life and career in the latest installment of Lucy Warner’s nifty Superheroes of Music series, for readers aged 4–10. That’s Clarke in the crown (“Zap!”), teaming up with Lully (“Tap!”) and Bob Marley (“Roar!”). Inside, there’s Hildegard, Marianna Martines, Liszt, Bizet, Puccini, Bartók, Prokofiev, Django Reinhardt, and Ravi Shankar, along with a glossary, a timeline, Q&A, and other cool stuff.

Available here (with sample pages), here, or from your regular bookseller.

REBECCA CLARKE GEAR

Arty Margit’s take on the famous portrait by Louis Langfier (c. 1923), reproduced in a host of useful and amusing merchandise. For prints of the graphic, click here. For framed prints, clothing, accessories, totes and carry-alls, cases and skins for your devices, stationery, housewares, mugs, regalia, and face-masks, click here.

Graphic: Copyright © Margit van der Zwan. Reproduced by permission.

POÈTE, PRENDS TA TASSE!

Try your favorite warm beverage in this snazzy mug from Alto Clef Gifts, emblazoned with the opening salvo of Clarke’s Viola Sonata. Comes in two sizes: 11 ounces and 15 ounces.

Clarke was an avid tea-drinker. Her brew of choice was Jacksons of Piccadilly in the big blue tin, an ambrosial concoction of which only a dim simulacrum survives today. We recommend these instead.