Grace Davidson soprano
Christian Forshaw saxophone
Alex Mason organ

1. With Distinguished Glory
Christian Forshaw
2. Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne
“Eternal Source of Light Divine”
George Frideric Handel arr. Christian Forshaw
3. Dazzling Beams
Christian Forshaw
4. So When the Glitt’ring Queen of Night, The Yorkshire Feast Song Z.333
Henry Purcell arr. Christian Forshaw
5. More Fools Than Wise
Christian Forshaw
6. The Silver Swan
Orlando Gibbons, arr. Christian Forshaw
7. Majesty
Christian Forshaw
8. Caprice de St. Geneviève
Christian Forshaw
9. Sonnerie de Sainte-Geneviève du Mont de Paris
Marin Marais
10. The Cyprian Grove
Christian Forshaw
11. Fairest Isle
Henry Purcell, arr. Christian Forshaw
12. Ombra Mai Fu
George Frideric Handel, arr. Christian Forshaw
13. Come, Heavy Sleep
John Dowland, arr. Christian Forshaw
14-17. Funeral Music for the Death of Queen Mary
Purcell/Tollett/Paisible, arr. Christian Forshaw

The title Historical Fiction came from a realisation that the process used by the authors of that genre was very similar to the one employed musically in this collection. Historical fiction authors take a framework of facts and create an imagined narrative around them. In the same way we have taken the core content of music written in the Renaissance & Baroque eras (namely the text, melodies and outline harmony) and created our own musical narrative around that framework. The music is arranged in a way that makes it sound ‘of our time’, exploring the contemporary ecclesiastical soundworld which has evolved in Christian’s music over the last 20 years. But we have approached the music with a reverence to the style, phrasing and expression that the composers probably would have been familiar with.

The pieces are linked with our own narrative made up of reconstructed fragments from the main material. By expanding simple melodic motifs or harmonic progressions from the core material, we have created new musical landscapes which connect the pieces together, very much in our own language.

The choice of repertoire was selected for an imagined state occasion in a large and austere space. We imagined ourselves peering through the West Door of Westminster Abbey. Various dignitaries arrive and depart to their own musical backdrops, sometimes grand, sometimes pompous, sometimes almost comical. It must have been a rather bizarre occasion as we move through celebratory romps, sublime tranquility and sombre tragedy in quite a short space of time, but in our minds it all fits together. We don’t really know who these people might be, but have enjoyed the imagining!

Produced by Christian Forshaw
Mastered by Richard Sutcliffe

Released September 2021