I believe those of us born in the United States have an affinity towards the music of our fathers and mothers. I also believe that a vocalist finds it easiest to sing the music from the lands of his or her heritage. My father s father was born in the British Isles, and I feel strongly that I have had a connection to these songs by Elgar, Bridge, Quilter and Vaughn Williams from the first moment I met them. I hope you enjoy the songs as much as Malcolm and I have enjoyed learning and recording them for you. Most of today s outstanding artists started young and Stanley Wilson is no exception. His first solo performance was at age six, singing I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus at a Christmas party, which kindled his interest in music, leading him to pursue a life-long study of singing and performance. He received his Master of Music from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts in Opera Performance and continues to learn by keeping up his studies in New York City with William Hicks, formerly of the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Wilson has amassed an extensive list of oratorio and opera credits which include presentations of Handel"s Messiah, Mozart"s Requiem, Mendelssohn"s Elijah, and Schubert"s Mass in B-flat as well as Basilio and Don Curzio in The Marriage of Figaro, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Bardolfo in Falstaff and Gastone in La Traviata. As a recital soloist, Mr. Wilson has performed with pianist Malcolm Halliday the works of Elgar, Bridge, Quilter, Vaughan Williams, Schumann and many others. Mr. Wilson teaches voice privately in Worcester, Massachusetts. His philosophy of singing is: Whether one is singing classical, musical theater, jazz, pop or rock, a sound technique must come first. From there, a singer can begin to develop the ability to communicate with the listener and to explore what music is truly about. Malcolm Halliday has performed in the United States and Europe, both as a soloist and in collaboration with singers, instrumentalists and orchestra. He has performed with historical pianos and period instruments in concerts at Jordan Hall and Faneuil Hall in Boston, Mechanics Hall in Worcester and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He was also the resident pianist for the American Schubert Institute in Boston. A champion of more recent and contemporary music, Halliday can also be heard on two recordings of the music of the American composer Leo Sowerby, released through Albany Records. Malcolm Halliday is Minister of Music at the First Congregational Church in Shrewsbury, with one of the largest mainline church music ministries in New England. He is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Master Singers of Worcester in Worcester, Massachusetts, since the fall of 1998. He resides in Worcester, and serves on the music faculty at Clark University. Halliday received degrees in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory (BA) and Boston University (MM).