Patrick Hadley (1899–1973) studied at Cambridge and at the Royal College of Music, returning later to lecture at both places and eventually to the professorial chair at Cambridge, which he held from 1946 to 1962. His compositions are mainly for voices and orchestra and display in various ways the influence of Vaughan Williams and, even more, of Delius. Typical of his style and output is the Symphonic Ballad The Trees so high, for baritone solo, chorus and orchestra, but possibly his most familiar piece is the anthem My beloved spake, to words from The Song of Solomon. This setting of I sing of a maiden, with traditional words dating from the sixteenth century, is for two-part boys’ choir. Hadley intended a piano accompaniment, but the present recording employs the organ.

from notes by Wadham Sutton © 1993