Benjamin Britten
The Fairy Queen
Decca Serenata 433 163-2
CD 1
Part 1 Oberons birthday
| Jennifer Vyvyan | Attendant |
| James Bowman | Attendant & Summer |
| Charles Brett | Attendant |
| Peter Pears | Phoebus |
| Mary Wells | Spring |
| Ian Partridge | Autumn |
| John Shirley-Quirk | Winter |
- Symphony
- Now the night is chased away
- Let the fifes and clarions
- What a cruel long winter
- Hail! great parent
- That the ever grateful spring
- Here's the summer, sprightly, gay
- See my many coloured fields
- Now, winter comes slowly
- Hail! great parent
Part 2 Night and silence
| Charles Brett | Fairy spirit |
| Ian Partridge | Fairy spirit |
| John Shirley-Quirk | Fairy spirit & Sleep |
| Owen Brannigan | Drunken poet |
| Jennifer Vyvyan | First fairy & Mystery |
| Mary Wells | Second fairy |
| Norma Burrowes | Night |
| James Bowman | Secrecy |
- Come all ye songsters of the day
- May the God of wit inspire
- Now join your warbling voices all
- Fill up the bowl then
- See, even night herself is here
- I am come to lock all fast
- One charming night
- Hush, no more
- Dance
CD 2
Part 3 The sweet passion
| Jennifer Vyvyan | Nymph |
| Peter Pears | Shepherd & Coridon |
| Alfreda Hodgson | Mopsa |
| James Bowman | Shepherd |
- Overture
- If love's a sweet passion
- The Plaint
- Now the maids and the men
- A dance of haymakers
- A thousand, thousands ways
- Hornpipe & rondeau
Part 4 Epithalamium
| Jennifer Vyvyan | Attendant |
| Mary Wells | Attendant |
| Peter Pears | Attendant |
| Alfreda Hodgson | Attendant |
| James Bowman | Attendant |
| John Shirley-Quirk | Attendant |
| Owen Brannigan | Hymen |
- Symphony
- Hark! Hark! the echoing air
- Sure the dull God of marriage
- See, I obey
- Turn then thine eyes
- My torch indeed...Thou shalt be
- Chaconne
- They shall be as happy
Ambrosian Opera Chorus
English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
TT CD 1 56:27
TT CD 2 39:20
Recording - The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk ; September 1970
Jane Pattle
Last Updated 23 October 1997