Britten - Britten: A Birthday Hansel/ Who Are These Children

Steeped in an atmosphere of ancient Scottish musical tradition, Benjamin Britten's setting of texts by Robert Burns in A Birthday Hansel was his final song-cycle. Who are these children? is another late cycle to poems by William Soutar, combining darkly dramatic musical depictions of wartime life with protest songs which hark back to the composer's youth. Acclaimed Scottish tenor Mark Wilde's sensitivities embrace both the vibrantly dramatic andgently mellifluous (Manchester Evening News) qualities in this deeply expressive repertoire.