The Gesualdo Six, Owain Park: Wishing Tree Digital Album

For their 11th album on Hyperion, award-winning vocal outfit The Gesualdo Six explore a more secular repertoire than on previous albums—recording for the first time repertoire they’ve been touring live since their founding in 2015. The programme takes in Renaissance works that celebrate nature and love, as well as contemporary settings of verses by Christina Rossetti and Kathleen Jamie. Many pieces cast light on childhood, conjuring moments of innocence, and interwoven throughout are re-imaginings of traditional British and Irish folk songs, continuing a long tradition of developing and reshaping existing material. As Director Owain Park writes, ‘Wishing Tree is … a journey through time, poetry and song, rooted in tradition yet alive with contemporary expression’. The Gesualdo Six regularly tour the world, giving over 150 concerts a year. Recent appearances include those across the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Austria, LATAM, Japan, China and Singapore. The group has commissioned hundreds of new works from a diverse range of composers, and runs regular composition competitions. G6 have harnessed the power of social media to develop a 350k-strong audience base, with their Instagram following making them the most highly followed choir in the world.

Tracklist:

1. This sweet and merry month of May William Byrd (1539/40-1623)
2. Put out into the deep - While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God David Bednall (b1979)
3. Bushes and briars - Through bushes and through briars I lately took my way Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
4. The wind's warning - All night the wind blew Alison Willis (b1971)
5. The wishing tree - I stand neither in the wilderness nor fairyland Joby Talbot (b1971)
6. The oak and the ash - Oh! the oak and the ash, and the bonny ivy tree Anonymous - traditional, arr. Gordon Langford (1930-2017)
7. My bonny lies over the oceanAnna Semple (b1997), arr. Owain Park (b1993)
8. El grillo Josquin des Prez (c1450/55-1521)
9. Summer shower - A Drop fell on the Apple TreeChristen Taylor Holmes (b2000)
10. The lark in the clear air - Dear thoughts are in my mind Anonymous - traditional, arr. James Whitbourn (1963-2024)Joseph Wicks (tenor)
11. Il bianco e dolce cigno Jacques Arcadelt (?1505-1568)
12. The silver swan Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)
13. The blue bird Op 119 No 3 - The lake lay blue below the hillSir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) Joseph Wicks (tenor)
14. Fantasia on English children's songs - Old King Cole was a mer…Owain Park (b1993) Petites voix Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
15. La petite fille sage
16. Le chien perdu - Qui es-tu, inconnu, chien perdu?
17. En rentrant de l'école
18. Le petit garçon malade
19. Le hérisson Quand papa trouve un hérisson
20. My love is like a red, red rose - O my love is like a red, red rose Anonymous - traditional, arr. Simon Carrington (b1942) Michael Craddock (bass)