Julien Van Mellaerts & James Baillieu - Songs of Travel and Home (2021)

For his debut song disc, baritone Julien Van Mellaerts honours his heritage with a selection of New Zealand, British, and French song, recorded with pianist James Baillieu. "I wanted to share where I feel connected to and explore the idea of home and identity through song. Having grown up knowing I was from many places, I feel a strong connection to the protagonist in Vaughan Williams / R. L. Stevenson’s Songs of Travel. I am lucky to call so many beautiful places home, and ultimately, that’s how we settled on the title, Songs of Travel and Home.” — Julien Van Mellaerts. This recording features Gareth Farr’s song cycle Ornithological Anecdotes, commissioned by Van Mellaerts, Baillieu and Chamber Music New Zealand. Ornithological Anecdotes sets works by New Zealand's poet laureate Bill Manhire, and is a window into the imagined lives of New Zealand’s vibrant native birds. Another highlight is Frank Bridge's Three songs for medium voice, viola and piano with fellow New Zealander Bryony Gibson-Cornish, framed by two more of Van Mellaerts’s favourite English songs: Roger Quilter's Go lovely rose and Now sleeps the crimson petal. Ravel's exquisite Chansons Made´casses and Don Quichotte a` Dulcine´e complete the recording.

Tracklist
01. 5 English Love Lyrics, Op. 24: III. Go, Lovely Rose
02. 3 Songs for Voice, Viola, & Piano, H. 76: I. Far, Far From Each Other
03. 3 Songs for Voice, Viola, & Piano, H. 76: II. Where is it That Our Soul Doth Go?
04. 3 Songs for Voice, Viola, & Piano, H. 76: III. Music, When Soft Voices Die
05. 3 Songs, Op. 3: II. Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal
06. Ornithological Anecdotes: I. Dotterel
07. Ornithological Anecdotes: II. Takahē
08. Ornithological Anecdotes: III. Huia
09. Ornithological Anecdotes: IV. Kiwi
10. Ornithological Anecdotes: V. Tūī
11. Chansons madécasses: I. Nahandove
12. Chansons madécasses: II. Aoua!
13. Chansons madécasses: III. Il est doux
14. Don Quichotte à Dulcinée: I. Chanson romanesque
15. Don Quichotte à Dulcinée: II. Chanson épique
16. Don Quichotte à Dulcinée: III. Chanson à boire
17. Songs of Travel: I. The Vagabond
18. Songs of Travel: II. Let Beauty Awake
19. Songs of Travel: III. The Roadside Fire
20. Songs of Travel: IV. Youth and Love
21. Songs of Travel: V. In Dreams
22. Songs of Travel: VI. The Infinite Shining Heavens
23. Songs of Travel: VII. Whither Must I Wander
24. Songs of Travel: VIII. Bright Is the Ring of Words
25. Songs of Travel: IX. I Have Trod the Upward and the Downward Slope