The London Symphony Orchestra [w/Gladys Ripley, Contralto] - Elgar's "Sea Pictures" & "Overture to 'In The South'" (1955 Capitol LP)

One of the great joys of record collecting is that as long as there are collectors willing to digitize their finds and share them with the world (or at least until they get taken down by the DMCA copyright zealots!), the artists themselves live on forever - even if they died before they could be fully appreciated in their own lifetime. Such was the case with the magnificent contralto Gladys Ripley (1908-1955), and the brilliant orchestral conductor George Weldon (1908-1963). It also was the case with the the subject of my last post, the Lebanese singer/actor/conductor Mohammed El-Bakkar.

   

Gladys Ripley (pictured above) was one of the great British singers of her time who could hold her own against the likes of such other (regrettably short-lived) classical contralto competitors as Kathleen Ferrier (1912-1953) and Ruby Helder (1890-1938). Born in Forest Gate, Essex, she gave her first public performance at the tender age of 17, singing in Mendelssohn's hefty oratorio Elijah. After receiving well-deserved public and professional accolades, she went on to record operetta for the small Sterno Records label and was frequently brought in as a studio singer to perform classical works over British radio. She sang under the baton of such prestigious orchestral conductors as Malcolm Sargent (1895-1967) and Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961), which eventually allowed her to tour New Zealand in 1940 and sing for six seasons at the London Royal Opera during WWII.

Her "big break", though, came in 1942 when she provided the singing voice of Mrs. Cibber in The Great Mr. Handel. After the film received high critical acclaim, she toured Australia in 1949 and the Netherlands in 1950, each time performing to standing-room-only audiences. By the end of WWII, her voice was in her prime, and she could very well have stood to become Europe's premiere contralto vocalist had she not suddenly passed away from breast cancer just a decade later. She was only 47 years old, and this 1954 rendition of Elgar's Sea Pictures is the last recording she ever made, being released posthumously one year after her death.

George Weldon (pictured above) was a pianist in his youth before deciding to become an orchestral conductor. He attended the London Royal College of Music, studying conducting under the tutelage of such instructors as Malcolm Sargent (who introduced him to Gladys Ripley) and Alymer Buesst (1883-1970). Having gained valuable experience conducting amateur orchestras and choirs after graduating, he served as assistant to Julius Harrison with the Hastings Municipal Orchestra from 1937 until 1939. Following the outbreak of WWII, he conducted the London Philharmonic and took charge of a season of ballet. 

In 1943, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra after an open competition. He was extremely well-liked by audiences and critics, offering stylish and exciting performances of the popular repertoire, but not neglecting new music either. Weldon’s contract with the Orchestra was unexpectedly terminated in 1951, when its board of management felt that a new conductor was required. The reasons for this are likely due to false rumors being spread that he was having an affair with a married female vocalist in the Orchestra's choir, but he resigned before he could be dismissed.

Starting in 1952, he conducted several top-tier European orchestras (the London Symphony Orchestra being just one of many) and appeared as a guest conductor in North and South Africa, Turkey and Yugoslavia from 1953 until his death from lung cancer at the age of 55.

There are not enough praises I can write about this record! While not as well-known as Janet Baker's rendition (considered the most famous rendition of the Sea Pictures) recorded a decade after Ripley's death, I happen to prefer this version over virtually anybody else's - even my own! Ripley's introspective delivery, perfectly-sized voice, caressing tone and crystal-clear diction make me melt into my seat every time I listen. I also consider her the last of the great British contraltos who, for nearly two centuries, were traditionally considered to be the finest in the English-speaking world. 

George Weldon also adds just the right blend of driving excitement and sensitive melancholy to the Orchestra, and at no time does he cause the Orchestra to overpower Ripley, or allow Ripley to overpower the Orchestra on her high notes. While his tempo on "Where Corals Lie" is a bit fast for my taste, I don't believe that it detracts from the mood or delivery of the piece, either. He also uses dynamics in a very skilled and enjoyable way on the overture to In the South that I have yet to hear any other conductor attempt. 

While I personally consider the Sea Pictures to be the more interesting work of the two (showing off my opera bias), I also recognize that this is one of the better renditions of the In the South overture I have ever heard. Any Elgar aficionado should make listening to this album a priority, and beginning conducting and vocal students in particular would do well to take away an idea or two from both Ripley and Weldon - even if they have both been departed from this world for over fifty years!   

Check out these clips from YouTube to hear it for yourself!

The tracks on this album are as follows:

1. "The Sea Slumber Song"*
2. "In Haven (Capri)"*
3. "Sabbath Morning at Sea"*
4. "Where Corals Lie"*
5. "The Swimmer"*
6. "Overture (Alassio)"

*With Gladys Ripley
  
Download (42.2 MB, 128 kbps)