Divine Art Records

Genre: Flute or Recorder

  • Discovering Wilfred Heaton

    Discovering Wilfred Heaton

    “Creative Outlet and Classical Conduit: The Importance of British Brass Band” by Paul Hindmarsh – Classical Music

    Discovering Wilfred Heaton: Premiere recordings of major instrumental works by a remarkable yet overlooked English composer.

    Wilfred Heaton (1918-2000) is a name well-revered in brass band circles, but nearly unknown in the wider world of classical music. Discovering Wilfred Heaton seeks to change that with no less than seven premiere recordings from pianists Murray McLachlan and Rose McLachlan, tenor James Gilchrist, clarinetist Linda Merrick, and flutist Alex Jakeman.

    The album is anchored by the first recording of Heaton’s monumental Piano Sonata, which was performed in 2024 to rapturous applause by Murray McLachlan at Manchester’s Stoller Hall. The Sonata, composed in the 1950s, is a work of striking ambition and depth. Harmonically daring, emotionally raw, and technically formidable, it stands comparison with the great mid-century sonatas of Bartók and Prokofiev. From the muscular counterpoint of its opening, through a grief-tinged slow movement and a dazzling finale, Heaton’s sonata reveals a powerful, individual voice—he was fearless in embracing big themes, bold melodies, and contemporary idioms.

    Also featured are first recordings of the Three Pieces for Piano (1954), and the poignant piano suite Pilgrim Reflections, adapted from Heaton’s mystery play Pilgrim’s Song. A selection of Heaton’s rarely-heard songs—written in his youth and again in later life—are performed here by the acclaimed tenor James Gilchrist, accompanied by Rose McLachlan. Together, these works illuminate Heaton’s stylistic evolution: his command of bitonality, rhythmic complexity, and melodic invention, rooted in a deep understanding of Bach and Brahms, and influenced by Walton, Hindemith, Bartok and Stravinsky.

    Heaton’s career was shaped by a lifelong tension between personal conviction and professional ambition. A deeply private Yorkshireman, he turned away from a mainstream musical path after early promise—studying with Mátyás Seiber and submitting works to the Society for the Promotion of New Music—choosing instead a life of teaching, reflection, and selective composition. The result is a body of work of exceptional quality, much of it unpublished or unheard until now.

    This album is not only a significant act of musical archaeology by Heaton’s biographer and editor Paul Hindmarsh – it is a compelling argument for Heaton’s inclusion among Britain’s most original post-war composers.

    Track highlights:
    • Piano Sonata (premiere recording) – Murray McLachlan,piano
    • Three Pieces for Piano (1954)
    • Pilgrim Reflections (suite for solo piano)

    For fans of: Bartók, Britten, Prokofiev, William Walton, Elisabeth Lutyens, early Tippett.

    An essential discovery for collectors, performers, and listeners drawn to British 20th-century repertoire beyond the usual names.

  • Highways and Byways: Rarities for Recorder

    Highways and Byways: Rarities for Recorder

    2024 American Record Guide Critic’s Choice

    Highways and Byways: A Double Album of Rarities for Recorder

    A seminal contribution to the canon of recorder music, this recording assumes a pivotal role, enriching the repertoire and captivating audiences with its distinct allure and technical prowess. Serving as a valuable resource for connoisseurs of recorder music and an inviting introduction for novices, Highways and Byways features a diverse array of compositions. Through its discerning curation and expert execution, this recording not only commemorates the recorder’s storied legacy but also fosters an appreciation for its enduring elegance and adaptability.

    John Turner presents recorder pieces by renowned composers such as Lennox Berkeley, John McCabe, and Thomas Pitfield. Discover rare gems by Igor Stravinsky and Alexander Gretchaninov, alongside a remarkable composition for recorder and two violas by the distinguished American composer William Bergsma.

    As a special treat, the album includes two previously unknown pieces by the late Christopher Ball, along with two compositions by John Turner himself, including a homage to Ukraine. It’s a veritable feast of rare and captivating music!

    Renowned as one of today’s leading recorder players, John Turner’s illustrious career spans performances with esteemed ensembles like David Munrow’s Early Music Consort of London and recordings with prestigious orchestras worldwide. With over 600 premieres to his credit, including works by Leonard Bernstein and Peter Sculthorpe, Turner’s artistry has left an indelible mark on the contemporary recorder repertoire.

    Featuring performances by John Turner (recorder), Stephen Bettaney (piano), Laura Robinson (recorder), Catherine Yates (viola), and Alex Mitchell (viola), “Highways and Byways” is a testament to the dedication of these exceptional musicians.

  • Elysían: Music by Jonathan Östlund

    Elysían: Music by Jonathan Östlund

    Step into the magical world of Jonathan Östlund with his latest album, Elysían, a stunning collection of impressionist compositions that will transport you to a fantastical, enchanted otherworld. This double album is a feat of collaboration, featuring hand-picked musicians from all around Europe, who come together to bring Östlund’s imaginative and accessible style to life.

    From chamber orchestral works to instrumental and vocal pieces, Elysían is a journey through the liminal states of the subconscious and the supernatural. Östlund’s music acts as a bridge between our world and a magical realm, where fairies and elementals reign supreme. In one case, the fairy even has a name – Titania, for soprano, flute, viola and piano. Östlund’s music has been championed by some of Europe’s best musicians, and it’s easy to see why. His trademark imaginative style delivers copious atmosphere, creating a listening experience that is both seductive and enchanting. Elysían whispers in our ears, inviting us on a voyage through the dominion of dreams, where we fly on the back of Östlund’s music into the realm of the subconscious.

    This album is a testament to Östlund’s talent as a composer and his ability to create music that transcends boundaries and takes us on a journey of the imagination. Fans of impressionist compositions and those who love to be transported to otherworldly realms will find much to love in Elysían.

  • The Whistling Book

    The Whistling Book

    This album derives from a 1998 release from Forsyth Brothers (Manchester) featuring works published in their Recorder Catalogue. It was then called ‘John and Peter’s Whistling Book’. For this new version, remastered in 2022, several extra tracks have been added. The album features the recorder at its most scintillatingly bright – most of the music here, though very recent, is melodic, tuneful, often in dance form, and witty – for example Alan Bullard’s suite inspired by favorite foods from around the world. Two small forays into modernism are provided by superb pieces by Richard Whalley and Kevin Malone.

    John Turner is one of the world’s most respected and skilful recorderists, with a long history of recordings, publications and premieres, including regular appearances with the Academy of Ancient Music, the Early Music Consort with David Munrow, English Chamber Orchestra and Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
    Peter Lawson has also enjoyed a long and illustrious career; he taught at Chetham’s School of Music for almost 40 years and has a large and impressive discography to his name.

  • Robin Stevens: Prevailing Winds

    Robin Stevens: Prevailing Winds

    The British composer Robin Stevens is a great talent waiting to be discovered by the global music community. His varied, stimulating and expressive work is exemplified by this collection of music for wind instruments, ranging from the jolly and accessible (yet very difficult to play) Concert Rondo to the darker, deeper and meaningful Grief’s Portrait.

    Stevens has a brilliant touch, and also is an excellent pianist, cellist and guitarist and plays all three instruments here, alongside some of the foremost instrumentalists from the musical hotspot of Manchester, England: John Bradbury (principal clarinet, BBC Philharmonic); John Turner (recorderist: Academy of Ancient Music etc.); Richard Simpson (principal oboe, BBC Symphony), Janet Simpson (former principal keyboardist, Hallé Orchestra); and wonderful soloists Sarah Miller (flutes); Helen Peller (bassoon) and Lindsey Stoker (horn).

  • Jonathan Östlund : Voyages (Download album)

    Jonathan Östlund : Voyages (Download album)

    Jonathan Östlund is a composer from Sweden who has pursued his passion for music with a BA and MA in Composition at the LTU, in Sweden. He has so far completed more than 100 works, including several orchestral pieces, a Piano Concerto and a Violin Concerto, and has been awarded many prizes in international competitions.

    ‘Voyages’, his second release under Divine Art (after ‘Lunaris’, in 2016), is a double album (issued in digital form only), featuring vocal, instrumental and chamber music, as on ‘Lunaris’, while in addition also featuring two orchestral recordings and works for organ. This new album with a focus on nature, enigmatic atmospheres and introspective journeys, is presented by top international soloists, some of whom have given the world premieres of these works.

    Östlund writes music with natural poetic melodies and highly sophisticated harmonies, blending tradition with contemporary expression.

    This album can also be obtained as a double CD (two tracks omitted in order to fit on 2 discs) HERE

  • Fragments – music for flute and harp by The Juniper Project

    Fragments – music for flute and harp by The Juniper Project

    We present The Juniper Project in their debut duo recording in the format of a concert recital with a variety of Romantic and modern works from Debussy to Lutosƚawski. The album title is named for the Lutosƚawski but also to represent the inclusion of highlight movements from works by Marson and Rutter.

    Greek flutist Anna Rosa Mari is a vibrant performer who has appeared around the world as a soloist, has been principal flute with the Chamber Orchestra of the Greek National Opera and has appeared with the Halle, BBC Philharmonic and many other leading orchestras.

    Eira Lynn Jones is one of the UK’s leading harpists with a wide range of activities including concertising, recording and teaching. A regular freelancer with most top UK orchestras, previously a member of the Manhattan Contemporary Music Ensemble, New York, she is currently also head of Harp at the Royal Northern College of Music.

  • Wind Blown – Sonatas for Wind Instruments

    Wind Blown – Sonatas for Wind Instruments

    Peter Hope is one of those remarkably talented composers whose music is far netter known than his name. An arranger and composer of light music for decades, working with the BBC Concert Orchestra and writing themes for public events, his music has been heard worldwide – and by millions of British watchers of BBC TV News which used Peter’s theme for over a decade.

    A selected set of wind soloists present the first CD devoted to Peter Hope’s compositions which are fresh, vigorous and enchanting – and as the composer says, ‘unashamedly tonal’.

  • Sonnets, Airs and Dances

    Sonnets, Airs and Dances

    British composer Philip Wood writes in a beautifully lyrical and melodic style which is totally accessible, Here his work is profiled by top soloists in vocal and chamber works of great variety.

  • Lunaris – Music by Jonathan Östlund

    Lunaris – Music by Jonathan Östlund

    A super showcase album of piano and chamber music from talented Swedish composer Östlund, performed by a select group of leading young European performers. Evoking the magic of night in all its guises from the dark to the whimsical this always lyrical and accessible new music has an individual sound and is exceptionally attractive. Some works include wordless voices from the soprano.

  • Cantilena II – flute and piano

    Cantilena II – flute and piano

    The flute and piano duo Cantilena, made up of flautist Odinn Baldvinsson and pianist Patricia Romero, are based in the UK and are establishing a fine reputation since the release of their debut CD (also eponymous), for a wide range of repertoire, mainly Romantic, both popular and less well known. So on this superb album, we have the beautiful Concertino of Chaminade, and Dutilleux’s Sonatine, both quite well known; the Suite by Widor is a little known piece by a composer more famed for his organ music and is very much in the French Romantic mould: also exquisite is the rare Sonata by Georgian composer Taktakishvili; finally Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango – a very well known piece but amazingly this is its first ever recording in the version for flute and piano.

  • From the British Isles – music for flute and piano

    From the British Isles – music for flute and piano

    The third in a series of albums by this leading flute and piano duo (and their seventh recording for Divine Art) in which we welcome back some iconic recordings previously issued by ASV (and long unavailable) together with some new recordings; this 2 CD set at mid price has several major works by British and Irish composers, from the early 18th to the late 20th century. As ever the duo demonstrate both remarkable virtuosity and also super musicality and depth in these mainly ‘Romantic’ works. The set is provided in luxury packaging at no extra cost, with detailed notes on the music. From the funfilled quirky and jazz-inflected Sonata by Malcolm Arnold through more ‘serious’ pieces by Leighton and Mathias, back to the late baroque sonata of John Ranish, this program is a perfect compilation of lyrical music for flute and piano.