Madeleine Dring

Dring 4 Night Songs

These stylish and passionate songs present technical challenges for even accomplished singers, though their cumulative effect is worthwhile. Twentieth century English composer, singer and actress Madeleine Dring wrote songs that frequently employed jazz chords in their accompaniment which has been compared in the US to Gershwin, though these evocative and emotional songs recall better the influence of Poulenc. They were composed in 1982.

Her contemporary, the poet Michael Armstrong, lived on Jersey after his service in the World War II where he ran a small hotel with his wife as well as being a painter, poet, publisher and, for a while, a member of the staff of Gerald Durrell's zoo.