News Archive

More recent news is available on the Howard Blake website news page.

CD for Naxos

Howard features as both composer and pianist on a new CD of his music for Naxos with the violinist Madeleine Mitchell. They are recording at the idyllic Potton Hall Studios in Suffolk, the release being intended for late October. It will feature premiere recordings of the 'Violin Sonata', 'Pennillion' and 'Jazz Dances' with the addition of an existing unreleased recording of the Piano Quartet.

CONCERT AT THE CADOGAN HALL, LONDON

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have scheduled a major concert of Howard Blake's music as part of their Cadogan Hall Season to celebrate his 70th birthday on October 28th 2008. The programme will be conducted by the composer and include the concert version of 'The Snowman' for treble (Robert William Blake), narrator (Nigel Havers) and orchestra, The Piano Concerto (originally commissioned for the 30th birthday of Princess Diana) played by William Chen, the brilliant Shanghai-based pianist who so memorably recorded Howard Blake's monumental work 'Lifecycle', and the London premiere of  'The Passion of Mary', a major new work for soloists, choir and orchestra, featuring soprano Patricia Rozario, tenor Martyn Hill and Swedish bass Lars Avidson. Booking from 1st May www.cadoganhall.com 020 7730 4500

CHAMBER MUSIC

New recordings of Howard Blake's chamber music by tenor Martyn Hill and The English Serenata were released in November 2006 on Meridian CDE 84553

Works included "Shakespeare Songs", the "Flute Quintet", "Trio for flute cello and harp" and "Pennillion".

ALED JONES DUET VERSION OF WALKING IN THE AIR

Howard composed a new counter-melody to his song 'Walking in the Air' especially for the tenor Aled Jones, who sings a duet with himself as a 12-year old  by overdubbing the 1985 EMI single which made him famous. They collaborated on the recording at the Marcangelo Studios in West London in August 2006 and the track has been released November 2006 on Universal under the album title 'The Best of Aled Jones'. UCJ 476 572-1 The album includes a duet version of Panis Angelicus with Bryn Terfel and Slent Night with Hayley Westenra

Children's Cello

BIS records have released a CD performed by Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough of 'pieces for cello students of all ages' and one of the pieces is Howard Blake's 'Archangel's Lullaby'- reviewed in Gramaphone magazine July 2006.

Re-release of Granpa CD

Hayley Westenra

The star New Zealand girl singer Hayley Westenra has brought out an album of "Walking in the Air" and is performing it in her concert tour with the Boston Pops Orchestra during the Christmas season.

Benedictus & Lifecycle at Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh

A performance of Howard's major oratorio "Benedictus" with tenor Neil Mackie is scheduled for 22nd April 2006 at Greyfriars Church in Edinburgh, along with a performance of his 24 piano pieces "Lifecycle".

HB in Kuala Lumpur

Howard visited Kuala Lumpur in June to give a piano recital of his "Lifecycle" in the palace of HRH The Sultan of Selangor and discussions are now taking place in regard to a major commission. See the article in The Star Online for a review.

The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra are giving 3 performances of "The Snowman" at The Petronas Towers 17th /18th December.

Hong Kong Concert

On June 19 2005 Howard visited Hong Kong for a delightful concert of two of his works "The Bear" and "Granpa", given by the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. Both were translated into Cantonese, with celebrated Hong Kong actor Jim Junior as Granpa, Jim Chin narrating "The Bear" and 50-strong children's chorus and this Christmas are scheduled to perform "The Snowman".