In the 1980s I wrote a series of musical settings of the poetry of Gavin Ewart and performed them at a concert in 1987 in honour of the poet in London, together with recorder player “Tasse” (Nigel Tasane).

Gavin and his wife were very pleased with the concert and a few years later, when I sought to register the songs for publication, he kindly gave me permission to publish them.  Sad to relate, he died shortly after that, but his individualistic poetry still lives on.

Most of the recordings you can hear here were made at Pentonville Road Studios with the engineering assistance of Patrick Mayo and Jonny Oslo.

The videos were created this year on my computer.....

The Flamingo

(a “cocking of snoot” at the snooty - including a deliberate error: - yes we all know Placido Domingo is Spanish, but the flamingo has his own ideas....)

The eyebrow is mine!

Hair of the Doggerel

A cri de coeur for more than one of us!

Actually... three of us.....

Venus

(Which I also call “Venus has left the building”)

Performed by David W Solomons with Tasse on recorders

The “Room service” and the bubble bath are my own curious creations.....

The Madness of a headmistress

A mock children’s song -

performed by D W Solomons

with Tasse on recorder

Note - A more frenetically mad version can now be heard here (the instruments are electronic in this recording)

Here are mp3s of some more of my settings of Gavin Ewart’s poetry, which I have not yet published, but most of which I sang (with Tasse on recorder on some of them) during the same recording sessions in the Pentonville Road Recording Studio back in 1987.

A Mock Christmas Carol (Jesus Christ is born today)

(warning: this is a “celebration” of material excess at Christmas time - totally irreligious!)

A Cup Too Low (...Put on some Mozart.....)

(my favourite line from this:

“it all looks bad, sounds bad, but don’t be fooled .... it is bad”)

The Greedy man considers nuclear war

(well - we all have our priorities!  Note the cheeky quote from Oliver (“Food glorious food”) on the guitar introduction :-))

Austria

A mock language guide for tourists

For two altos, one tenor and guitar

The Learnèd Hippopotamus

A comic poem for voice, recorder and guitar

The Venerable Cat

For alto, guitar and optional added instrument

Based on “ A 14 year old convalescent cat in the winter”

Alcohol

(this setting for four equal (or at least equally drunk) voices was later used as a piece for string orchestra with added bassoon part for the “Fée Verte” section of the Paul Verlaine celebration in Seattle - “absinthe makes the heart grow fonder....”)