LIBERTY LIBERTY and mischief. On my return to the UK I had fun OLIVER DAVIS (b. 1972) writing this pizzicato piece for strings. While I was writing this album the co-producer, Emma Heathcote, suggested ‘Liberty’ as a I first worked with cellist Katherine Jenkinson title. It occurred to me that since I was enjoying in 2016 when she asked if I would write a piece Spiral, for Violin, Piano and Strings w Lost Lake, for Violin and Strings [4.48] the freedom to write whatever I wished ‘Liberty’ for cello and piano for a forthcoming concert. 1 I [2.35] Jonathan Hill violin • Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was an appropriate choice. Following this I wanted to write more for the cello 2 II [2.58] Paul Bateman conductor so commenced work on Morpheus, a cello concerto 3 III [2.47] Spiral is written for solo violin, piano and strings. for Katherine. For the first movement she 4 IV Part 1 [1.06] e Sonar, for Violin, Piano and Strings [3.03] The opening movement is scored so that the suggested I make use of the powerful, brilliant high 5 IV Part 2 [2.41] Kerenza Peacock violin • Huw Watkins piano solo violin is often part of the string section, register that the cello has. The second movement Kerenza Peacock violin • Huw Watkins piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra • Paul Bateman conductor Royal Philharmonic Orchestra • Paul Bateman conductor but then emerges in certain sections to reveal is written around a 12-note sequence which varies itself as a solo instrument. The name of the only slightly throughout the movement. I wrote the 6 Bacchus [2.41] Chillingham, for Soprano, Piano and String Ensemble work comes from the image evoked by the solo solo cello part to ‘float’ over this sequence. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra • Paul Bateman conductor r I [3.00] violin and piano lines in the second movement. last movement has a driving intensity, with t II [3.35] The third movement provides a welcome sense repeated triplet passages providing momentum. Morpheus, Cello Concerto y III [2.42] of calm after the energy of the first two For this recording the Royal Academy of Music 7 I [3.06] Grace Davidson soprano • Emma Heathcote violin and viola movements and the final movement often kindly loaned Katherine a Rogeri cello. 8 II [3.24] Kerenza Peacock violin • Katherine Jenkinson cello exploits Kerenza’s ability to play in a folky, 9 III [3.13] Oliver Davis piano virtuosic style. Kerenza recorded this work on Liberty is written for violin, viola, piano and Katherine Jenkinson cello • Huw Watkins piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra • Paul Bateman conductor a Peter Guarneri violin kindly loaned by Ingles strings and is in two distinct parts. In the opening Total timings: [48.49] & Hayday. section I wanted a graceful feel that allowed the Liberty, for Violin, Viola, Piano and Strings soloists to each have their own space to perform. 0 I [3.33] In August 2017 I travelled to Malta to watch It is followed by the fast, almost rustic feel of q II [3.34] three brilliant ballets choreographed by Royal the second section where I often score the violin Kerenza Peacock violin • Timothy Ridout viola Ballet First Artist Erico Montes. In the apartment and viola in octave unison which allows their • Huw Watkins piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra where I stayed was a bust of Bacchus, the God theme to be heard even when the full string Paul Bateman conductor of Wine. My co-producer suggested I write a section are playing at forte. piece called Bacchus and fill it with merriment www.signumrecords.com - 3 - Lost Lake was written for Jonathan Hill in 2011. TEXTS The shaggy old sheep-dog barking at the flock, Let music whisper from a casement set In fact it was the first piece I wrote for violin And the rotten old five-barred gate! By them of old, and strings. The fiendish virtuosic middle Chillingham Where the light smell of lavender may yet section is sandwiched between the outer more Words by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge O the brown bracken, the blackberry bough, Rise from the soft loose mould. serene legato passages. Despite its demands The scent of the gorse in the air! upon the soloist, it remains the most performed I I shall love them ever as I love them now, Then shall I know, with eyes and ears awake, work of my repertoire. Following Lost Lake is Through the sunny garden I shall weary in Heaven to be there! Not in bright gleams, Sonar, where rippling piano lines and long The humming bees are still; The joy my Heavenly Father joys to make legato phrases conjure up images of an The fir climbs the heather, III For men who grieve, in dreams! underwater world. The heather climbs the hill. Strike, Life, a happy hour, and let me live But in that grace! Whilst searching for a text to set to music I The low clouds have riven I shall have gathered all the world can give, discovered Chillingham, three poems by Mary A little rift through. Unending Time and Space! Elizabeth Coleridge. I was immediately attracted The hill climbs to heaven, by the mystical quality of her writing. I composed Far away and blue. Bring light and air--the thin and shining air these songs for soprano Grace Davidson, who Of the North land, performs all three vocal lines on this recording. II The light that falls on tower and garden there, O the high valley, the little low hill, Close to the gold sea-sand. Oliver Davis And the cornfield over the sea, The wind that rages and then lies still, Bring flowers, the latest colours of the earth, And the clouds that rest and flee! Ere nun-like frost Lay her hard hand upon this rainbow mirth, O the gray island in the rainbow haze, With twinkling emerald crossed. And the long thin spits of land, The roughening pastures and the stony ways, The white star of the traveller’s joy, the deep And the golden flash of the sand! Empurpled rays that hide the smoky stone, The dahlia rooted in Egyptian sleep, O the red heather on the moss-wrought rock, The last frail rose alone. And the fir-tree stiff and straight, - 4 - - 5 - OLIVER DAVIS also charted in the UK top 10 and was Album Choreographers around the world have chosen to of the Week on Classic FM and in the Mail on choreograph to Davis’ music. Recent examples Oliver Davis graduated from the Royal Academy Sunday. His latest album Dance was recorded include Edwaard Liang’s 13th Heaven premiered of Music in 1994 and has since composed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey by Singapore Dance Theatre and Secrets numerous concertos, ballet scores, albums, Road studios and was released in September choreographed by Erico Montes and premiered soundtracks and television scores working 2016, with Classic FM giving it a world exclusive by The Royal Ballet. 2018 sees performances with many of the major London orchestras. play on the John Suchet show. This too became of several new ballets using scores by Davis, His first ballet collaboration with Erico Montes Classic FM’s Album of the Week and featured in including The Infinite Ocean by Edwaard Liang was the three movement ballet Within the Hours their ‘Best of 2016’ show. for San Francisco Ballet and a new work by premiered by members of the Royal Ballet at the Peter Walker for New York City Ballet. Linbury, ROH. Deborah Crane commented on the ‘beautiful new music by Oliver Davis’, in a review for The Times. Davis’ debut album Flight, recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra with soloist Kerenza Peacock, was released in March 2015 and quickly rose to number 2 in the UK Specialist Classical Charts with 5 Star reviews in both the UK and US. In addition it was chosen as Featured Album of the Week on Classic FM and was broadcast daily on the station. Several pieces from the album Flight have been used for a 25 minute ballet choreographed by Ma Cong for the Tulsa Ballet Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After the release of Flight came Davis’ second album Seasons in October 2015. This album featured his work Anno, a contemporary take on Vivaldi’s Quattro Stagioni. This album - 6 - - 7 - ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA For more than seven decades the Royal In 2018, RPO Resound, the Orchestra’s community Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has been at the and education programme, marks its twenty-fifth First Violin Jennifer Dear Cello forefront of music-making in the UK. Its home anniversary. Throughout its history it has thrived Tamás András Stephen Payne Chantal Webster base since 2004 at London’s Cadogan Hall on taking music into the heart of the regions Shana Douglas Manuel Porta Roberto Sorrentino serves as a springboard for seven principal that the Orchestra serves, working with a variety Patrick Savage William Heggart residencies as well as more than forty-five of participants in a range of settings including Andrew Klee Viola Rachel van der Tang concerts per year in long-term partnership working with young people, the homeless and Anthony Protheroe Liz Varlow venues across the country, often in areas where recovering stroke patients. Erik Chapman Chian Lim Double Bass access to live orchestral music is very limited. Jonathan Hallett David Gordon With a wider reach than any other UK large The Orchestra has become increasingly active Second Violin Triona Milne Benjamin Cunningham ensemble, the RPO has truly become Britain’s on social media platforms, inviting audiences Andrew Storey national orchestra.