Through the Centuries: Songs of Madeleine Dring album review puts paid to any idea that she was not a serious composer

"Drawing on poets from Shakespeare and his Elizabethan colleagues to the composer's contemporaries, Dring's canny knack for word-setting proves as effective as her ability to find a distinctive new melody for an old chestnut such as It Was a Lover and His Lass. Whately's warm, supple mezzo-soprano takes these frequently fervent outpourings in its stride while spotless diction and an intense connection to text draw the listener into an intoxicating world of rediscovered micro dramas."

"There is plenty of variety here. Love Is a Sickness throbs with unconsummated passion, as does Echoes with its bluesy, melismatic lines. By way of contrast, a deal of fun is had with the tongue-in-cheek Encouragements to a Lover, ditto Shakespeare's The Cuckoo."

"Already considered a maverick, the fact that much of her music remained unpublished until the late 1990s threatened to condemn her to obscurity. Enter Kitty Whately and Julius Drake, whose wide-ranging survey puts paid to any idea that Dring was not a serious composer."

Madeleine Dring (1923-1976) studied at the Royal College of Music under Herbert Howells and Vaughan Williams but pursued an unconventional career in theatre, pantomime, and cabaret before dying at 53. Much of her music remained unpublished until the late 1990s, risking obscurity. A survey by mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately and pianist Julius Drake reveals Dring's serious compositional credentials. Drawing on poets from Shakespeare to her contemporaries, Dring demonstrates exceptional skill in word-setting and creating distinctive melodies. Whately's warm mezzo-soprano and Drake's sensitive accompaniment showcase the emotional range of Dring's songs, from passionate love songs to playful, tongue-in-cheek pieces, establishing her as a significant composer.

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