Newly discovered and edited by leading Stanford authority Jeremy Dibble, the Nine Irish Folksongs for SATB a cappella reveal a composer who was steeped in the lore of his native Erin, and a master of the romantic partsong. The exceptional skill of Stanford’s vocal writing animates every bar in his treatment of delightful texts by Thomas Moore and Alfred Perceval Graves, and the talents of any choir will shine out irresistibly in these magical settings, a tapestry of grave, gay, tragic and humorous moods.

The original Irish airs include ‘Lough Sheeling’, ‘The Green Woods of Truigha’, ‘Norah Kista’, ‘When she answered me’, ‘Open the Door Softly’, ‘St Mary’s Bells’ and ‘Awake, awake, Fianna’. The editor’s Introduction explains the fascinating links with Stanford’s earlier folksong settings for voice and piano, and additional notes highlight the nineteenth-century Irish literary background.

This new publication will prove of outstanding interest in the forthcoming Stanford anniversary year of 2024, confirming alongside the poetry of The Blue Bird and the breadth of his sacred music the composer’s enduring legacy, and enriching the many musical celebrations marking the centenary of his death.