Prima Facie Records

Three Dramatic Cantatas (PFCD257) £12.50/£17.50

Compositions by Andrew Downes; Paula Downes (soprano), Alison Daniels (mezzo-soprano), Jonathan Midgley (bass-baritone), David Trippett (piano), Choir of Robinson College, Cambridge, Will Sims (conductor)

1 Cain and Abel Op. 21 (1981) [17:53]

Libretto by Cynthia and Andrew Downes

2 The Death of Goliath Op. 17 (1978) [19:12]

Libretto by Cynthia and Andrew Downes

A Child is Singing Op. 24 (1981) [18:11]

Poem by Adrian Mitchell with additional words by an anonymous survivor of Hiroshima and Cynthia and Andrew Downes

Total Time [55:17]

About this Album

Andrew Downes’ Dramatic Cantatas: Powerful Reimaginings of Ancient and Modern Conflict The late 1970s and early 1980s marked a period of extraordinary creativity for British composer Andrew Downes, whose dramatic cantatas combined bold musical language with timeless themes of human struggle, morality, and peace. Three of his most significant works – The Death of Goliath (1978), Cain and Abel (1981), and A Child is Singing (1981) – continue to resonate with audiences for their emotional depth, theatrical flair, and social relevance.

The Death of Goliath (1978), commissioned for the bicentenary of St Paul’s Church, Birmingham, reimagines the biblical tale from Goliath’s perspective, highlighting his fading strength and family anxieties before his defeat by David. Praised for its emotional impact, it received multiple performances and broadcasts.

Cain and Abel (1981), written in the style of a Greek tragedy for the Midland Boy Singers’ 20th anniversary, portrays Abel as Adam and Eve’s favored son, with his death recounted as an accident. Critics admired its conception and dramatic power.

A Child is Singing (1981), inspired by Adrian Mitchell’s antiwar poem and Hiroshima testimony, was commissioned by the Clarion Singers. A haunting protest against nuclear conflict, it was performed widely throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Together, these three cantatas demonstrate Andrew Downes’ ability to fuse ancient stories and modern concerns into works of striking theatricality and emotional resonance. Whether reimagining biblical figures or confronting the spectre of nuclear war, Downes’ music continues to speak to audiences with urgency, compassion, and dramatic power.

Review

"Bass-baritone Jonathan Midgley brings due solemnity to the solo role of General 'Giah', with evocative contributions from the Robinson College Choir and a powerful account of the piano part by David Trippett." Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine.

Credits

Paula Downes soprano
Alison Daniels mezzo-soprano
Jonathan Midgley bass-baritone
David Trippett piano
Choir of Robinson College, Cambridge
Will Sims conductor
Producer: Elliott Park
Sound Engineer: Phil Hardman
Recorded on 3/4 July 2025 in Robinson College Chapel
Cover Photo: Spotyphoto

You can read more details of this recording on the Prima Facie Records blog

Andrew Downes was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, in 1950, into a well-known Midlands family of musicians. He won a choral scholarship to St John’s College, Cambridge, where he specialised in composition, and in 1974 went on to study at the Royal College of Music with Herbert Howells, who wrote of him as ‘one of the most effective composers coming to me these days’. His emergence as a leading international composer was combined with a strong academic profile as an innovative and inspired educator: he created and was Head of the School of Composition and Creative Studies at the Birmingham School of Music (now Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) for 30 years, and following his retirement, devoted himself solely to composition. His output includes an opera, six symphonies, numerous concertos and chamber works, song cycles, piano music and a large body of choral and sacred music. Over 20 CDs of his music have been issued on a range of labels. His numerous commissions included The Marshes of Glynn, for the Royal Opening of Birmingham’s Adrian Boult Hall in 1986; anthems for the BBC Radio 4 Daily Service; and the overture Towards a New Age. Downes’s Concerto for Four Horns and Orchestra was commissioned for and premièred by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002, and recorded by Czech Radio the following year. His Sonata for Violin, Horn and Piano was premièred by the Brahms Trio Prague in 2008, and released on the Czech Philharmonic’s Artesmon label. Downes’s Piano and Horn Concertos were premiered at Birmingham Town Hall in 2009 and 2012 respectively. In 2016, the Artesmon label released a disk of Downes' Symphonies and Overtures, recorded by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. He died on January 2nd 2023, leaving a legacy of over 120 works. A prolific composer, he wrote every day until the last week of his life.