Dies Natalis - History

History

Dies natalis is a cantata for solo voice and string orchestra. The opening introductory orchestral movement is followed by four movements for accompanied voice in which Finzi set mystical texts by the seventeenth century English poet Thomas Traherne. Finzi selected three of Traherne's poems, prefaced by prose drawn from the opening three sections of the Third Century in Centuries of Meditations. Written from 1938–1939, the score was published in 1946. Finzi himself conducted the work at the Three Choirs Festival in 1946.

The first recording of Dies natalis, sponsored by the British Council, was one of only two recordings of Finzi's music made in his lifetime. Two of the three sessions took place in October 1946, and the third on 29 January 1947. For Finzi it was an unfortunate experience: the soprano soloist was Joan Cross, whom he disliked for being an opera singer, and for her close connection to Benjamin Britten. Furthermore, the conductor Boyd Neel was ill for one of the three sessions, and Finzi had to take over: his biographer, Diana McVeagh, suggests it may have been for the "Rhapsody", which was recorded on a particularly cold day - the coldest day in 50 years - and Joan Cross admitted afterwards, "I don't think I did justice to that piece, alas!".

In 1964, his son Christopher Finzi conducted the work for its second recording with the soloist Wilfred Brown. Brown had first sung Dies natalis in 1952 under the composer's baton, and his interpretation in the recording is described by Finzi's biographer, Diana McVeagh, as "among his finest: intelligent, poetic, and informed with his acute but gentle feeling for words."