Featured on the Cambridge Singers' album of the same name, 'Fancies' is an exquisite cycle of choral settings for mixed voices and small orchestra.

Songlist: Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred, There Is A Garden In Her Face, The Urchins' Dance, Riddle Song, Midnight's Bell, The Bellboy's Song

The 'fancies' that give this album its title are the fleeting ideas, dreams and whims that flit like Will-o'-the-wisps through the imagination of every artist. I have always thought that they were captured to perfection by the Elizabethan poets and by their collaborators, the madrigal composers such as Weelkes, Wilbye and Morely; and, looking back now on the music heard on this recording, I realize how much of it was inspired by the madrigalian spirit. Fancies was written in 1971 for the Richard Hickox Singers and Orchestra (the orchestra was later renamed the City of London Sinfonia, who play on this recording). The first performance was given in London, repeated shortly afterwards at an open-air concert one lovely summer's evening by the River Thames in rural Berkshire, a perfect setting for it. The Suite Antique, dating from 1979, also has a Berkshire association: I was asked to write it for the Cookham Festival, to be peformed by Duke Dobing and the London Baroque Soloists at a concert in Cookham Parish Church. Bach's Fifth Brandenburg Concerto was on the programme, so I decided to write for the same combination of instruments, and to pay musical homage to the forms and styles of Bach's day. - John Rutter

Songlist: Fancies, Tell me where is fancy bred, There is a garen in her face, The urchins' dance, Riddle song, Midnight's bell, The bellman's song, Suite Antique, Prelude, Ostinato, Aria, Waltz, Chanson, Rondeau, Five Childhood Lyrics, Monday's child, The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, Windy nights, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Sing A Song Of Sixpence, When Icicles Hang, Icicles, Winter nights, Good ale, Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind, Winter wakeneth all my care, Hay, ay

Rarely heard works by English composer/conductor John Rutter are highlighted on this highly acclaimed disc by the St. Charles Singers. Fancies is a cycle of choral settings with small orchestra which uses texts from the 15th and 16th centuries including Shakespeare and Thomas Campion. This performance is only the second recording of this charming piece. Other Rutter pieces include, "The Keel Row," "Black Sheep," "Down By the Sally Garden" and "I Know Where I'm Goin'." All of the Rutter arrangements are accompanied by soloists from the Metropolis Chamber Orchestra. The remainder of the recording is an assortment of American and British folk song arrangements. "Flower of Beauty," is especially beautiful. This recording includes some great singing from a fine American choir.

Songlist: Tell Me Where is Fancy Breed, There Is a Garden in Her Face, The Urchins' Dance, Riddle Song, Midnight's Bell, The Bellman's Song, Flower of Beauty, The Keel Row, The Turtle Dove, Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair, Lamorna, Black Sheep, Down By The Sally Gardens, He's Gone Away, Swansea Town, The Oak and The Ash, Early One Morning, I Know Where I'm Going, Londonderry Air, Shenandoah