This debut album, from Germany-based ensemble Conceptus, features music for tenor and ensemble by Butterworth, Warlock, Holst and Bridge, in addition to Timothy Collins’s Sea Song. Collins has composed and arranged extensively for the ensemble.

Originally composed in 2018 and set to the poignant poetry of Katherine Mansfield, Collins’s evocative Sea Song delves into themes of ageing, sorrow, and loss. Conceptus has brought Collins’s musical narrative to life with an accompanying 10-minute music film available on Apple Music and Youtube.

Delving into themes of nostalgia and the tragedy of lost youth, George Butterworth’s Six Songs from a Shropshire Lad, originally composed in 1911, captures the essence of Alfred Edward Housman's timeless poetry. Collins’s arrangements embellish the poignant resonance of Butterworth's work, forever etched in the annals of English song.

Peter Warlock’s masterwork, The Curlew, meticulously arranged for Conceptus by Timothy Collins. Woven from the poetry of William Butler Yeats, this haunting composition, originally scored for string quartet, cor anglais, and flute, delves into macabre imagery and desolate landscapes.

Gustav Holst’s Hymns from the Rig Veda is transfigured by Conceptus with these arrangements from Timothy Collins. Drawing inspiration from ancient Sanskrit texts dating back to 1500 BCE, Holst’s choral triumph offers a reverent exploration of Hindu philosophical thought. Experience the profound resonance of Holst's sacred compositions as Conceptus breathes new life into these timeless hymns.

From the reflective tones of “Come To Me In My Dreams” to the mythological allure of “Love Went A-Riding”, Conceptus navigates the emotional depths of Bridge's Three Songs with grace and finesse.

Conceptus is an international, multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary ensemble with membership drawn from Germany, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland and Australia. Formed in 2021, the ensemble is dedicated to bringing new life to great works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and beyond, with a particular emphasis on Late Romantic British vocal music and song cycles. Conceptus has also commissioned works by award-winning German composer, organist and conductor Christoph Ritter, whose Requiem is set for a world premiere and recording in 2024. Conceptus Artistic Director, Scott Robert Shaw, released his acclaimed debut “The English Tenor” on Divine Art in 2023.