George Butterworth

Shropshire Lad, A (Rhapsody)

George Butterworth (1885-1916), an English composer whose life was cut short at the Battle of the Somme, wrote two song cycles based on A SHROPSHIRE LAD, a collection of 63 poems by A.E. Housman. Conceived as an epilogue, the orchestral rhapsody to A SHROPSHIRE LAD is widely considered to be his masterpiece. The London Symphony Orchestra gave the first performance at the Leeds Festival on October 2, 1913 under the direction of Arthur Nikisch. Originally titled THE LAND OF THE LOST CONTENT, it looks back at an idyllic world threatened, perhaps prophetically, by the fear of uncertainty and loss. Instrumentation: 2.2+EH.2+BCl.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp: Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).