Britten Thematic Catalogue

Beta Version

BTC859 CARPENTER: ENGLAND ARISE!

For orchestra with or without voices/Arrangement attributed to Benjamin Britten, orchestrated by Will Sahnow
Composition date: ca. 1939
Genre: Arrangement
Text: Edward Carpenter (1844-1929)
Performing forces:

Voices (ad lib.) - 2 fl (II=picc), 2 ob, 2 cl in B flat, 2 bn - 2 hn, 2 tpt in B flat, 3 trbn - timp, perc (sd, bd, cymb) - str

Duration: 4'

Notes

At present nothing is known about the history of this arrangement: the only evidence of its existence is provided by the published parts.

Carpenter's revolutionary song was composed for unaccompanied four-part chorus, and appeared in this form in earlier publications (e.g., Chants of labour: a song book of the people, ed. Edward Carpenter (London: Swan Sonnenschein, 1888); and The left song book, ed. Alan Bush and Randall Swingler (London: Victor Gollancz, 1939)). In the late 1930s the Workers' Music Association issued orchestral sets for a number of such songs and the attributions on the material for Carpenter's indicate that Britten's arrangement wsa orchestrated by Sahnow (a leading member of the WMA). The set also includes a 'piano accompaniment', apparently for use only in performances with reduced orchestral forces.

All content copyright (C) Britten-Pears Foundation 2012 unless stated. Please note all BTC numbers are provisional at this stage.