How to buy

979-0-57036-628-6 The Cruel Mother – Score Available at MusicRoom Buy now (£7.95)
979-0-57036-629-3 The Cruel Mother – Parts Available at MusicRoom Buy now (£14.95)
979-0-57036-615-6 Firewheel Anthology – Score Available at MusicRoom Buy now (£29.95)

Description

Part of the Firewheel Anthology collection

Vibrant chamber ensemble pieces and songs by emerging composers, written for Dark Inventions.

Find out about the collection

Commissioned by Dark Inventions for their Firewheel project, part of the Sound and Music ‘Composer Curator Scheme’. Premiered by Dark Inventions at The Engine House, Manchester, 8th May 2014.

The murderous tale of infanticide that is told in The Cruel Mother ballad is widely known in a number of forms. It has been performed and recorded by folk singers such as Martin Carthy, Maddy Prior, and Bella Hardy amongst many others, and inspired Down by the Greenwood Side by Harrison Birtwistle.

The particular melody used in this arrangement was collected by H.E.D. Hammond in Dorset in 1907. The matter-of-fact representation of the terrible tale that characterizes the tune is augmented by the quintuple metre and cheerful instrumental refrain.

The Cruel Mother, performed by Dark Inventions with Stef Conner

Details

Categories
Duration
5 minutes
Libretto/text
Traditional
Premiere

Dark Inventions, The Engine House, Manchester, 8th May 2014

Scoring
1 Voice, 1 Flute, 1 B-flat Clarinet, 1 Violin, 1 Violoncello
Composition date
2014

Recordings

Firewheel Dark Inventions, cond. Christopher Leedham, soprano Stef Conner 26th February 2016

Performances

26 February 2016

The Treehouse, Berrick Saul building, University of York

Louisa Dobson (soprano), Late Music Ensemble, cond. James Whittle

16 May 2014

Capstone Theatre, Liverpool

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham

12 May 2014

The Lit & Phil

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham

11 May 2014

Left Bank, Leeds

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham

10 May 2014

National Centre for Early Music, York

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham

8 May 2014

The Engine House, Manchester

Dark Inventions and Stef Conner (voice) cond. Christopher Leedham