Divine Art Records

Period: Contemporary

  • Twisted Skyscape

    Twisted Skyscape

    This ground-breaking album is the first of its kind – devoted entirely to new music written for the woodwind orchestra.  It features outstanding performances by the principal woodwind players of the Czech Philharmonic, conducted by Shea Lolin, and includes four world premiere recordings.

    The recording was made to both promote British composers and to give focus to the woodwind orchestra. This program showcases the woodwind orchestra in all its voices: Overture for Woodwinds is bright and lyrical, while Pantomime is joyously comical with moments of heartrending nostalgia. A notable shift in the language comes with Dreamtide, which is a beautiful expression of the subconscious, with delicate and tender lines. Battle Symphony is a pictorial suite containing elements of pastiche in ten highly original sections. The album concludes with Twisted Skyscape, a vibrant and excitingly powerful piece.

    Conductor Shea Lolin is a dynamic and versatile freelance musician living in London. His principal studies were in clarinet performance, composition and conducting at the Colchester Institute, and he has since developed an inimitable portfolio career as a conductor, performer and teacher.

    A second album of world premieres for woodwind orchestra, Chromosphere, will be released by Divine Art early 2024.

  • Conceptus: Sea Song sung by Scott Robert Shaw

    Conceptus: Sea Song sung by Scott Robert Shaw

    This is the premiere recording of Sea Song performed by the ensemble Conceptus.

    The song was composed by Australian composer Timothy Collins with lyrics from ‘Sea Song’ -a poem by New Zealand poet Katherine Mansfield.

    Released to coincide the centenary of Mansfield’s death which is being notably marked in her native New Zealand. Alongside the release of this single, Divine Art are releasing the Sea Song music film digitally, a fully realised narrative film featuring Conceptus artistic director and tenor, Scott Robert Shaw and actress Patricia Aragon. Conceptus’ debut album “Gods, Ghosts and Monsters” is set for release on Divine Art in 2024.

  • 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.

  • Ek-stasis: Dionysus, Nymphs and Satyrs

    Ek-stasis: Dionysus, Nymphs and Satyrs

    Experience the captivating journey of Ek-stasis, presented by Divine Art Recordings.

    Delve into the world of myths reconstructed in music by celebrated composers from different cultures and times. This unique album features three world premiere recordings, bringing fresh and exciting music to the programme. Greek pianist and professor Zoe Samsarelou has expertly curated a selection of works that weave together an interconnected narrative, taking you on a journey through the myth of Dionysus. From the works of Couperin, Rameau, Dandrieu, and Daquin to the eminent Greek composers of the 20th and 21st centuries and the Late Romantics in between, each piece is thoughtfully selected and presented.

    The album is divided into themes of seduction, pathos, illusion, metamorphosis, transcendence, instinct, catharsis, mythos, paradox, and transition. This creates an immersive experience that guides the listener through the various stages of the myth and offers a musical perspective on the story. Accompanied by Zoe Samsarelou’s insightful prose on the collection and notes on the Greek composers featured in the program, Ek-stasis is more than just a listening
    experience. It’s a celebration of the Greek spirit that has influenced humanity for over 2,500 years, highlighting the creativity and ingenuity of these wonderful composers.

  • Bagatelles – Piano music by Bernard Hughes

    Bagatelles – Piano music by Bernard Hughes

    Experience the complete works of composer Bernard Hughes for solo piano in this exceptional collaboration with pianist Matthew Mills. This eclectic collection covers over 25 years of music, featuring a range of styles and moods that are sure to captivate. From the oldest piece dating back to Hughes’ student years at Oxford to a brand new suite transforming Baroque dance forms into something surprising and new, this album is a masterpiece of composition and performance. With pieces ranging from the large-scale Strettos and Striations to little occasional pieces written for the composer’s children, there is something for everyone on this album.

    What truly makes this album special is the collaboration between Hughes and Mills. The two musicians have been working together for many years, resulting in a deep understanding of each other’s artistic vision and an unparalleled ability to bring Hughes’ compositions to life on the piano. Mills himself is an accomplished composer, founder and owner of publishing company Wild Woods Music, whilst Hughes was appointed Composer-in-Residence at St. Paul’s Girls’ School after receiving his Ph.D in composition from Royal Holloway College.

    Hughes’ music has been widely performed and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and across Europe. A recent commission, Birdchant, was chosen to receive its premiere by the BBC Singers at the 2021 Proms. He has composed operas, choral and vocal works, as well as piano music, to great acclaim.

  • Souvenirs d’oiseaux

    Souvenirs d’oiseaux

    English pianist Roderick Chadwick has recorded the second volume in a series which presents Books 2 through 5 of Messiaen’s “Catalogue d’oiseaux” coupled with works which are linked either in style or subject matter. This follows the well-received issue in October 2020 of the first volume, entitled ‘La Mer Bleue’ which included Book 1 of the Catalogue.

    This double album is a continuation of Chadwick’s journey through Messiaen’s “Catalogue d’oiseaux”, programming it alongside an array of solo piano works that share its themes, atmospheres and inspirations. The latest issue features Books 2 through 5, including the cycle’s great centrepiece ‘La rousserolle effarvatte’ (The Reed Warbler), which evokes the sights and sounds of the Sologne region across a full day’s span.

    Roderick Chadwick, as both soloist and collaborator, has performed some of the most challenging works for piano; his recent Stockhausen disc was highly praised. He is a particular expert on Messiaen and in 2018 co-authored and published a book on the Catalogue d’oiseaux. He lives in South London and is Reader in Music at the Royal Academy of Music.

  • Michael Blake: Afrikosmos

    Michael Blake: Afrikosmos

    Inspired by Bartók’s’Mikrokosmos’ and by the indigenous music from various parts of Africa, South African composer Michael Blake created this magnum opus – like Bartók’s work, in varying degrees of difficulty for young players and experts alike. The recording was made in June 2021 at the Menuhin Hall, Cobham, Surrey by pianist Antony Gray, whose recent Divine Art albums of piano works by Saint-Saëns have met with great success and glowing reviews.

    Michael Blake is a South African-born composer and pianist based in London from 1977 and later returned to the “New South Africa”. He has been responsible for post-apartheid New Music initiatives such as joining the ISCM and setting up a new music festival and composers meeting. His musical language draws from African music, experimental film, and African weaving techniques. His works have been widely played around the world and appear on 15 CDs. He currently splits his time living in rural France and Cape Town where he is an honorary professor of experimental composition at Stellenbosch University.

    Australian pianist Antony Gray was educated in Victoria, Australia, where he graduated from the Victorian College of Arts and won several awards and prizes. He received a scholarship from the Astra foundation to continue his studies in London with Joyce Rathbone and Geoffrey Parsons. Based in London now, he is regarded as one of the most interesting and communicative performers of his generation, known for his solo and chamber music performances around the world, regular recordings for CD and radio, and his championing of contemporary and neglected composers such as George Enescu, Dussek, Martinů, Malcolm Williamson and John Carmichael. He has recorded 14 discs of solo piano music for ABC Classics, and featured on other recording projects for KNS Classical and other labels.

  • Fritze: Spanish Meditations and Dances

    Fritze: Spanish Meditations and Dances

    “Spanish Meditations and Dances” is a set of 17 pieces for violin and piano composed and arranged by American composer Gregory Fritze, specially for violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved. The set includes both expressive meditations and exciting technical dances, inspired by the towns and regions of Spain. Gregory Fritze is a prize-winning composer and Fulbright Scholar, with a long history of successful performances and composition awards.

    The performance of “Spanish Meditations and Dances” features Peter Sheppard Skærved on violin and Roderick Chadwick on piano. Both musicians are critically acclaimed and have extensive concert and recording careers. The compositions showcase the violinist in both expressive and exciting technical playing and titles of the movements are from the many towns and regions of Spain that have been a great inspiration in the composer’s music over the years.

    Each movement is a stand-out piece, showcasing the exceptional talent of both the composer, Gregory Fritze, and the performers, Peter Sheppard Skærved and Roderick Chadwick. The emotive and technically masterful violin playing paired with the dynamic piano accompaniment make for a truly captivating listening experience. The album is destined to be an airplay classic.

  • Robin Stevens: Chasing Shadows

    Robin Stevens: Chasing Shadows

    Robin Stevens manages to blend the often dominating clarinet with subtle warmth and colour with the strings, giving the Clarinet Quintet a distinctive character of its own.

    An important strand in Stevens’ compositional output since 2007 has been writing music for relatively neglected instruments such as the tuba, the piccolo and the bassoon, and this strand was strengthened in the autumn of 2015 when he wrote a collection of six pieces for double bass and piano, to which Chasing Shadows and Obsession belong.

    The Fantasy Trio (2009) is a relatively rare instance of a substantial chamber work combining the classical guitar with mainstream orchestral instruments. The Romantic Fantasy for flute (doubling piccolo), B flat clarinet, string quartet and harp (2010), is written for the same forces as Ravel’s ground-breaking Introduction and Allegro. The Romantic Fantasy is an ambitious work in one movement, an unbroken span of twenty three minutes’ music.

  • Passiontide – A Lenten Cantata

    Passiontide – A Lenten Cantata

    Simon Mold’s new setting is a triumph drawing deeply on the traditions of baroque Passion settings as well as such works as Stainer’s ‘The Crucifixion’ and Maunder’s ‘Olivet to Calvary’. This work is a masterpiece which, if there is any justice in the world, will be widely sung, to be appreciated by choirs, audiences and congregations.

    A strikingly accessible work that explores a range of emotions with a sure feel for word-setting and an irrepressible tunefulness, while nonetheless capable of many passages of gravitas, poignancy and lingering beauty.

    Highlights include dramatic moments in the Garden of Gethsemane and before Pilate, a searching setting of the Reproaches for choir and soloist, the heart-rending farewell duet for Mary and Jesus and a final scene that taps into the feelings of believer and non-believer alike.

  • Companions: Contemporary Organ Music

    Companions: Contemporary Organ Music

    A new album of ten contemporary organ works from nine composers representing six countries.

    Carson Cooman presents a program of contemporary music for organ recorded on the remarkable post-romantic Thomas Gaida organ of the Pauluskirche in Ulm, Germany. The music varies widely in character and scope, from smaller character pieces and meditations to several dramatic, large-scale works. The final piece is the grand 15th organ symphony of English composer Bernard Heyes. Some like David Lasky’s ‘Peace Prayer No. 1’ have a special resonance in today’s world.

  • Light of the World: a new Carol for Christmas

    Light of the World: a new Carol for Christmas

    A special digital single featuring a new carol by established British composer and conductor Robin White.

    Light of the World is unashamedly aimed at bringing joy and thoughts of peace, reconciliation and understanding in our highly troubled world. Written In a sparkling Viennese waltz time, this carol should be in everyone’s seasonal playlist. With its simple, yet effective melody, it is also perfect for church or school choirs.

    Robin White is an important figure in the world of contemporary light music, having made many recordings since his debut in 1992. He appeared with his choir in an episode of the BBC TV series EastEnders and his work has been broadcast by BBC orchestras many times.