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Solace Eros and Psyche for soprano and orchestra [12.25] a Save Me [3.14] u I Oliver Davis vocal and piano OLIVER DAVIS (b. 1972) i II Grace Davidson backing vocals Budapest Scoring Orchestra and the Peacock Ensemble o III Péter Illényi Conductor p 1 Clarity for solo violins and strings [3.19] Guitar Concerto [8.34] IV Text by Christina Alexopoulou Kerenza Peacock and Jonathan Hill solo violins 7 I Grace Davidson soprano Huw Watkins piano Budapest Scoring Orchestra and the Peacock Ensemble 8 II Total timings: [58.47] Péter Illényi Conductor Oliver Wass Harp 9 III Benedict Moriarty & Sam Brophy trebles in IV 2 Solace for solo violin and strings [4.25] Sergio Puccini Guitar Budapest Scoring Orchestra and the Peacock Ensemble Oliver Wass Harp Péter Illényi Conductor Jonathan Hill solo violin Oliver Davis piano in II & III Text by Simon Littlefield Budapest Scoring Orchestra and the Peacock Ensemble Henry Hanssen trombone in III Péter Illényi Conductor Budapest Scoring Orchestra and the Peacock Ensemble Peacock Ensemble Péter Illényi Conductor 3 This Mortal Man for soprano, harp and strings [3.22] Kerenza Peacock violin I Jonathan Hill violin II Emma Heathcote viola Katherine Jenkinson cello Hannah Turnbull double bass Grace Davidson soprano • Oliver Wass Harp Kaleidoscope piano duet [7.53] Budapest Scoring Orchestra and the Peacock Ensemble www.signumrecords.com 0 I Péter Illényi Conductor q Text by John Delaney II w III I had originally planned the production of my conductor? The only way this could be achieved 4 Narcisuss and Echo [3.12] Beth & Flo (Elsbet Remijn and Claudette Verhulst) piano sixth album in a similar way to previous albums, was by recording the orchestra and many of the Grace Davidson soprano a method that had to be abandoned when social soloists remotely. e Benedict Moriarty and Sam Brophy trebles Sun Stands Still for treble and piano [2.17] restrictions were enforced at the onset of the Oliver Davis keyboards Benedict Moriarty treble pandemic. In addition to amending the production During the lockdown period I had briefly worked Budapest Scoring Orchestra and the Peacock Ensemble Oliver Davis piano Péter Illényi Conductor Text by Simon Littlefield process, most of the repertoire I had originally remotely with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, Text by Simon Littlefield planned to record was also going to need to be and that experience gave me the confidence to Bute Cello Duets [4.00] Equinox for violin and strings [6.06] replaced owing to key artists and studios unable tackle this project. I decided to create a template r I 5 I to be involved. It presented a huge logistical by recording all the principal elements first. I t II 6 II and creative problem, but also an interesting recorded all the key orchestral parts individually y III Kerenza Peacock violin challenge. Would it be possible to create an with five musicians (informally titled as the Katherine Jenkinson and Nicholas Holland cellos Budapest Scoring Orchestra and the Peacock Ensemble album, largely orchestral based, without being ‘Peacock Ensemble’ for this album) and this Péter Illényi Conductor in the same room as the orchestra and enabled me to have enough control of these parts - 3 - to then create a master chamber music version Solace was originally composed as part of a larger Equinox is a two-movement work for solo violin In March 2020 I composed a short rhythmic of all the orchestral pieces on the album. I then scale work for solo violin and orchestra, which and strings written for Kerenza Peacock. In the sketch for two pianos. I started to research piano mapped out the exact tempos and dynamics in choreographer Edwaard Liang used to create first movement I wanted to create an almost duos online and discovered Beth & Flo, a piano the orchestral scores and only then did I record ‘Lineage’, a ballet premiered by New York City motionless feel in the string accompaniment, duo with a theatrical edge to their performances. the Budapest Scoring Orchestra on top of this Ballet in the Fall Fashion Gala 2019. I singled over which I wrote a ‘floating’ violin melody. The There was a great feeling of synchronicity chamber recording. In addition, many of the out this particular movement as I felt it suited the string accompaniment develops into a triplet between these pianists which made them ideally pieces were written for soloists who were based mood of this project. The solo violin part, performed arpeggiated figure, reaching its climax with an suited to my style of writing. I decided to develop abroad and were now unable to visit the UK as by Jonathan Hill, was played on an 1846 Pierre accompanying cello solo performed by Katherine the sketch into a three movement work for them, planned. I therefore had to record their parts Silvestre kindly lent by Sean Bishop at Bishop Strings. Jenkinson. The second movement opens with titled Kaleidoscope. Beth & Flo (Elsbet Remijn remotely and incorporate those recordings into just the solo chamber group I originally recorded and Claudette Verhulst) recorded the piece on the mix. I achieved this using the internet and Writer John Delaney and I collaborated on an for this album. Only after the introduction does two Steinway D pianos at the Power Sound recording studios and engineers all over the operatic project based on the Irish mythological the full string orchestra join, in what becomes a Studio, Amsterdam. world, recording a violinist in Los Angeles, a piano tale of Tir na Nog. This Mortal Man was written joyous conclusion to the piece. duo in The Netherlands, a guitarist in Argentina from the perspective of the goddess Niamh who Simon Littlefield wrote the poem Sun Stands and the Budapest Scoring Orchestra conducted has fallen in love with earthling Oisin, whom Last year I was introduced via social media to Still in June 2020. On reading it I could by Péter Illényi in Budapest. This painstaking she wishes to marry, against the wishes of the Argentinian guitarist Sergio Puccini. He asked immediately see it working well as a song for process became a labour of love and has led me gods. The song is arranged for soprano, harp and whether I had written anything for classical guitar treble and piano. I recorded a guide vocal and to appreciate the many benefits of being in the strings and is sung by Grace Davidson. and the only piece I had to present was a one- sent the song to the Hi Lo Singers agency. They same room as the artist! minute sketch written several years earlier. suggested we record treble Benedict Moriarty, I wrote the music for what became Narcissus and Upon hearing it he asked if it could be expanded who appears on this recording accompanied The opening piece, Clarity, is written for four solo Echo many years before the lyrics were added. I and so the work matured into a three movement by myself on piano. violins and string orchestra. Two of the soloists gave the piece in its original form to lyricist Simon guitar concerto. Initially it was conceived as a create an echoing rhythmic arpeggio and the Littlefield with the brief of finding an appropriate work for two guitars and orchestra but I then I had been in touch with cellist Katherine other solo and orchestral elements comprise the theme and fitting words to the existing melody. altered the arrangement changing the second Jenkinson in March 2020 and she described her melodic and harmonic material respectively. The His idea of setting it to the story of Narcissus guitar part into a harp part which is performed and her cellist husband’s growing frustration at solo parts are performed here by Kerenza Peacock and Echo instantly transformed the piece into here by harpist Oliver Wass. Sergio recorded the not being able to perform during the lockdown and Jonathan Hill. a new song, sung here by Grace Davidson with solo part remotely in Rosario, Argentina. period. I decided to write them a duet purely as accompaniment from trebles Sam Brophy and something they could play together during this Benedict Moriarty. strange time. In the slow movement I wrote a - 4 - - 5 - ‘drone’ in the cello 1 part over which the cello vocal myself with the intention of locating the To travel to his world, the world of men Slaking his thirst so strong 2 part plays the melody; this ‘drone’ gave the right singer for it at a later date. To my surprise, To see if he will travel back with me Two eyes bright as stars movement a slightly Scottish feel and reminded on hearing the song co-producer Emma Heathcote This man called Oisin Beauty to match his own me of the beautiful Island of Bute which I’d immediately responded with ‘keep the voice’. This recently visited. The Bute Cello Duets seemed sentiment was echoed by others and so it has I hope he falls in love with me as well Reflection the obvious title for the piece. remained on the recording. And that my crossing over bears some fruit Silver love scorns This man of earth so fills me with desire Youth lost for ever After he’d written the words for Narcissus and Oliver Davis My heart is racing with the very thought On mountain high Echo I asked Simon Littlefield whether he would A man called Oisin His cries echo… write a larger scale poem, again based on a TEXTS mythological tale. After some research Simon I’ll saddle up my magic horse and ride Flowering love settled on Eros and Psyche. He managed to tell 3 This Mortal Man Out through the caves and to the blue-white sea the epic story across four poems which I then by John Delaney I’ll fly across the waves and to his world e Sun Stands Still scored in chronological order.

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