Montague F. Phillips: ‘Crab-Apple’ from Flowering
Trees
I first came across Montague Phillips (1885-1969) in Llandudno
about a third of a century ago. I had recently discovered the
delights of English music and was beginning to assemble a collection
of records and piano sheet music. In Madoc Street there was a
wonderful second-hand bookshop: it is still there. I found some
songs by Montague Phillips that appealed to the romantic streak
in my boyish nature. These were the song-cycles
From a Lattice
Window, and
Sea Echoes. I had to wait until I returned
to school before I could run through them with one of the sixth-form
girls who sang a bit. Something, though, went wrong. We never
performed them together. I think she felt that Bach or Schumann
was more in her style than an unknown Londoner.
It is only quite recently that Montague Phillips’s music has begun
to appear in the record catalogues with three stunning releases
from Dutton Epoch of his orchestral music, including his two romantically
and wonderfully overblown piano concertos. Yet his songs and his
piano pieces remain a closed book. Phillip Sear, on YouTube has
performed
In
the Willow Shade and there is a recording of Peter Dawson
singing the one-time ubiquitous
The
Fishermen of England from the composer’s opera
The Rebel
Maid. With the exception of
Lesley-Jane
Rogers’s fine recording of ‘Crab-Apple’ on
The Soprano
Sings – English Song Penchant PCHN-2402, there are no songs
currently available on CD.
‘Crab-Apple’ is one of four songs taken from the song-cycle
Flowering
Trees. The first three are called ‘Lilac’, ‘Laburnum’ and
‘Hawthorn’. Nancie B. Marsland wrote the lyrics for all of them.
The music was published c.1919 by Chappell & Co. of London,
although it was possibly composed the previous year. By and large,
the song is a piece of escapism: there is relatively little here
to suggest that either the composer or author were affected by
the dying months of the Great War. However the ‘envoi’ may well
suggest that life is transient: therefore live it to the full!
It is a truism that poetry and music at that time either reflected
the horrors of that war (Owen, Sassoon) or tried to present an
idealised picture of the world (many of the so-called Georgian
poets, such as Walter de la Mare) In ‘Crab-Apple’ the poet is
looking at a small incident in her garden – a brown bird is feasting
on crab-apple blossom. She wonders why the bird is attracted to
this, rather than that of the softer and perhaps sweeter fruits
such as ‘pear or plum’. Maybe the blossom is less bitter than
crab-apples become when they ripen? This fruit is not usually
ripe until early winter, the close of the year.
Interestingly a poet friend of mine pointed out that it is possible
to apply a kind of ‘Freudian’ analysis to this poem. However,
bearing in mind the texts of the other three songs and the largely
‘genteel’ target audience, it is probably better not to delve
too deeply into phrases such as “Who is the wanton with ling’ring
lips” and “Taking his lusty fill”. Someone once said that it is
possible to make a Freudian study of the telephone directory!
There is virtually nothing on the Internet or in the standard
reference books about Nancie B. Marsland. Rather, she is usually
mentioned as being the wife of the British-born actor Halliwell
Hobbes!
She was born in Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire around 1894 (she
was cagey about her age) and was educated privately. Marsland
worked for a newspaper and also indulged her passion for writing
poetry and lyrics. Later she began an acting career and appeared
in several Broadway plays under her own and her married name.
She died in Santa Monica, California on 10 April 1968.
Nancie B. Marsland’s most famous collaboration was with Eric Coates
in his relatively well-known ‘The Mill O’ Dreams’ which was a
cycle of four miniature songs. However, it is with Montague Phillips
that she seemed to show most sympathy: there are many examples
of their collaboration. Virtually all of these songs were composed
between 1912 and 1924, although I understand that Phillips may
have set one of her verses as late as 1956. Other composers who
set her lyrics include Mary Hannah Brahe, Landon Ronald, Samuel
Liddle and Claude Arundale.
Crab Apple
Soft white petals a-blush at the tips,
Tiny green leaves of the tenderest hue
Who is the wanton with ling’ring lips
Stealing your dew?
Taking his lusty fill
Rather than dip his bill
In pear or plum
Fluttering wings of a little brown bird,
Snowing of petals and branches that sway,
You are the robber whose laughter I heard!
Sip while you may!
For when the blossoms die
Setting the mouth awry,
Crab-apples come, [Last line repeated in the song]
Nancie B. Marsland
Listen to Lesley-Jane Rogers singing
‘Crab Apple’
‘Crab-Apple’ is a well-contrived lyric. The formal structure of
the poem consists of fourteen lines divided into two septets,
although it is possible to subdivide each stanza into two - a
four line verse followed by a three line. The metre of this poem
is typically made up from dactylic measures, although there is
a considerable degree of rhythmic flexibility. Certain words are
elided such as “ling’ring” which the composer spreads over a whole
bar with three different notes.
The stanzas are set in a basically binary form, although Phillips
adds a few subtle changes to accommodate the rhyming scheme and
varying metre. The actual structure of the piece could be written
as:-
[Introduction] A-B-C [Bridge] A-B-C [Coda]
The song is written in G major with an important modulation to
E minor. There is a strong bias to the tonic in spite of a few
excursions to F# major. The harmonic basis of this piece is largely
triadic, with considerable use of inversions in the accompaniment,
although the composer does stretch to a few 7ths and 9ths. The
most exotic harmony is a short phrase in the coda where the harmonic
progression is based on E minor to F major and finishing on F#
major. It is an effective little phrase.
The time signature is interesting: Phillips chooses 12/8 for most
of the song with the third section of each strophe given in ‘common
time’. The coda is the most rhythmically complex part of the work
with successive bars leading from the tune in 4/4 through 12/8,
6/8 and closing in 12/8.
The melodic range of this song is quite limited – from E to A
– although the singer is required to sustain the high A and G
for a few bars. The emphasis of the melodic line is towards the
higher end of the range. Most of the melodic activity is confined
to steps, thirds and fourths, but there is at least one rising
7
th. The final reiteration of the phrase ‘Crab-apples
come’ is the most dramatic part of the setting. The song ends
with the soprano singing a high G.
The accompaniment is largely repetitive between stanzas. One interesting
feature is the use of ‘twos against threes’ between the singer
and the piano. Typically, the accompaniment is chordal and has
a strong sense of movement, perhaps suggesting the “Fluttering
wings of a little brown bird?”
It is always intriguing to look at a song and see if the composer
has exploited any word painting – subtle or obvious. There is
little use made of this device in ‘Crab-Apple’, although I believe
that Phillips has indulged a little in two places. On ‘fluttering’
he uses three quavers with repeated Bs which emphasises this alliterative
three-syllable word. Also there is a descending phrase used at
“Snowing of petals …” and “For when blossoms dies …” This is a
felicitous touch.
It is not a difficult song to sing, but there are some issues
for the singer to beware with balancing the more and the less
dynamic parts of the melodic line.
Philip Scowcroft writes pertinently on
MusicWeb
International that the problem with Montague Phillips’s songs
is that they are generally perceived as being “too good as ballads
yet not quite good enough to take their place alongside the art
songs of Vaughan Williams, Warlock, Gurney and the rest”.
‘Crab-Apple’ is a good illustration of a song that lies somewhere
between these two genres, however, if anything it tends towards
being a splendid example of English lieder. It is well-composed,
with a fine melodic line, a competent accompaniment and an attractive
lyric. Like other songs by Montague Phillips it is way too good
to be consigned to oblivion simply because of its perceived Georgian
overtones. It certainly deserves to be in the repertoire of all
singers of English song.
Lesley-Jane Rogers has recorded ‘Crab-Apple’ along with twenty-six
other English songs on
The
Soprano Sings – English Song: Penchant PCHN-2402
With thanks to Miss Rogers for her help with this article and
for giving permission to use the track from her CD album.
John France
January 2010
