Divine Art Records

Period: Contemporary

  • Sappho, Shropshire and Super-Tramp – English Art Song

    Sappho, Shropshire and Super-Tramp – English Art Song

    The title ‘Sappho, Shropshire and Super-Tramp’ reflects three major threads (though not all) in this exceptional album of new English art-song made with the English Poetry and Song Society.

    Shropshire is represented by several settings from Housman’s ‘A Shropshire Lad’ which has been among the most popular sets of poems for composers since its publication in 1896. From the ancient world, Sappho’s writings were set by Ivor Gurney, recently discovered, edited and published by Richard Carder.

    Super-Tramp is the exceptional hobo-turned-gentleman poet W.H. Davies.

    Altogether 12 composers and 52 songs, some in cycles and some stand-alone items, make this a feast of new and fascinating work for the song lover. Performed by top soloists Sarah Leonard and Johnny Herford, accompanied by Nigel Foster, who has been described as ‘today’s Gerald Moore’.

  • Willscher: Organ Symphonies 19 & 20

    Willscher: Organ Symphonies 19 & 20

    German composer Andreas Willscher has won many awards for his compositions, which range widely from symphonic forms and oratorio to cabaret jazz and rock. His organ works are especially fine and varied – involving often a mélange of post-tonal modernism, minimalism, and jazz and rock elements. Willscher is also an active writer of literary and scientific articles and as a collector and preserver of ‘lost’ and forgotten music of the past.

    Organ Symphony Nos 19 and 20 were both composed in 2017 so are truly contemporary. They are lively, thrilling works with great rhythmic vitality. The third work is a suite – The Beatitudes – composed in 1974 at the beginning of the composer’s career.

    Carson Cooman is organist of the Memorial Church at Harvard University and also a most prolific composer, writer and teacher.
    His works have appeared in many recordings and have been played in every inhabited continent. This is his second recording of Willscher’s music for Divine Art as performer (the first was of Symphony No. 5), and the label has already released thirteen CDs of Cooman compositions with many more planned.

    The recording was made on the Schulze organ (1868) in St. Bartholomew, Armley, Leeds in a live performance using the Hauptwerk system.

  • Cooman: The Cloak with the Stars

    Cooman: The Cloak with the Stars

    Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

    His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. Much of the music here, tonal and accessible though never lacking in complex chromaticism, was written for and dedicated to the German composer Andreas Willscher whose works Cooman is also recording for Divine Art.

    Erik Simmons is a fine organist, making his sixth Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Abbey of Saint-Etienne, Caen, France in a live performance recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

    This is volume 6 of this highly praised series. (Now up to volume 13)

  • Violin Muse

    Violin Muse

    Seven world premiere recordings of works by British composers with a range of styles but all in a modern but approachable and often very lyrical idiom from the deep and heartfelt Violin Concerto ‘Soft Stillness’ by Guto Puw to the stunningly simple yet beautiful new work from Michael Nyman. Many of these works were specifically written for, and premiered by, Madeleine Mitchell so this is a very special album for her personally as well as being a fine virtuoso concert. Most works on the album are for violin and piano with Nigel Clayton; Cerys Jones appears in the super violin duet ‘Atlantic Drift’ by Judith Weir, and Puw’s Concerto is a BBC recording with the BBCNOW and American conductor Edwin Outwater.

    Madeleine Mitchell is an internationally acclaimed soloist with a fine discography and has been an inspiration to composers and painters, including Gerald Marks who created his artworks ‘The Madeleine Series’ between 1989 and 1991.

    Madeleine Mitchell talks about ‘Violin Muse’ on YouTube here

  • John Turner – Christmas Card Carols

    John Turner – Christmas Card Carols

    For over twenty years, Britain’s foremost recorder player, John Turner, has composed a carol and sent the score as his Christmas Card. Until now just a personal gift to his friends, John was persuaded to record a selection, which has led to this beautiful album.

    Presented by the chamber choir Intimate Voices and featuring sopranos Sasha Johnson Manning, Eleanor Gregory and Philippa Hyde in solo and duet pieces, with obbligato harp and oboe in some, this is a lovely mixed program of Nativity carols, composed very much in traditional style, in new settings of ancient texts.

    John Turner is a fine composer but is chiefly known as a recorder player and champion of contemporary composers, with dozens of recordings to his credit, many from Divine Art and Métier.

  • Exordium: Organ Music by Carson Cooman

    Exordium: Organ Music by Carson Cooman

    Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

    His organ compositions come in many styles, from those inspired by the Renaissance, to liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. The music here, tonal and accessible though never lacking in complex chromaticism, was all written either as a commission, or dedicated to a person who has known, worked with, or inspired the composer. Some works are overtly liturgical and all are endowed with a deep spirituality.

    Erik Simmons is a fine organist, making his fifth Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the organ of the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Saint-Omer, France (built 1855) in a live performance recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

  • Travelling Light: Music of Jim Parker

    Travelling Light: Music of Jim Parker

    Perhaps the name of Jim Parker is not well known – but his music is loved worldwide. Composer of numerous film and theatre scores, he is best known for his television music which includes Foyle’s War, House of Cards, Midsomer Murders and House of Elliott among many more. He has won the British Academy Award for Best TV Music on no less than four occasions.

    This brilliant album collects a number of Parker’s recent compositions which are not directly for TV but still have a marvelous pictorial quality and display his remarkable talent for memorable melodies and coloration, whether it be the recorder acting like a Peruvian pipe, or violins emulating the Hurdy-Gurdy.

    Light music albums of this quality are very rare these days and this is a joyful gem.

  • Mind Music

    Mind Music

    An Album for Charitable Support.

    Parkinson's UK
    Proceeds from the sale of this CD are in aid of Parkinson’s UK

    Degenerative brain diseases (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s in particular) cause immense distress to sufferers and their families. This album is released to raise funds for research into cures, through Parkinsons UK. Both the soloists lost parents to these diseases hence their wish to support the research. They have chosen works by composers all of whom were similarly afflicted – either in themselves or their close families. Mendelssohn died at a very young age due to degenerative disease, Strauss wrote his work during a period of severe influenza and depression, and Kevin Malone and John Adams struggled to cope when their fathers both succumbed to Alzheimers.

    The works here are serious, often poignant, but also humorous and full of hope. A delightful performance by the two clarinet soloists is bolstered by the excellent Northern Chamber Orchestra.

  • Andreas Willscher: Organ Symphony No. 5

    Andreas Willscher: Organ Symphony No. 5

    German composer Andreas Willscher has won many awards for his compositions, which range widely from symphonic forms and oratorio to cabaret jazz and rock. His organ works are especially fine and varied – involving often a mélange of post-tonal modernism, minimalism, and jazz and rock elements. Willscher is also an active writer of literary and scientific articles and as a collector and preserver of ‘lost’ and forgotten music of the past.

    Organ Symphony No. 5 is on a grand scale but is mostly quiet peaceful and meditative with only two fast and louder sections; the symphony is subtitled “Of Francis’ Preaching about Holy Poverty” and is a reflection on the life and teaching of St. Francis of Asissi.

    Carson Cooman is organist of the Memorial Church at Harvard University and also a most prolific composer, writer and teacher. His works have appeared in many recordings and have been played in every inhabited continent. This is his first recording for Divine Art as performer, but the label has already released thirteen CDs of Cooman compositions with more planned.

    Organ of Laurenskerk, Rotterdam (recorded via Hauptwerk)

    More Willscher here and here

  • Hymnus: Music for Organ by Carson Cooman

    Hymnus: Music for Organ by Carson Cooman

    Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

    His organ compositions come in many styles, from those inspired by the Renaissance, to liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. The music on this album is very suitable for both concert and church performance and is at the ‘traditional, tonal’ end of the Cooman spectrum: works of intense beauty and wide appeal.

    Erik Simmons is a fine organist, making his fourth Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the organ of the Church of St. Peter & Paul in Weissenau, Germany (built 1787) in a live performance recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

  • David Matthews: Romanza

    David Matthews: Romanza

    World Première Recording

    This work was commissioned by Madeleine Mitchell, who also gave the first performance with Nigel Clayton in 2012, following her premiere earlier that year of a version for violin and orchestra. It is a beautiful piece full of emotional warmth and lyricism. This digital single is also from Madeleine’s album of lyrical contemporary music for violin “Violin Muse”.

    Foremost British violinist Madeleine Mitchell commissioned this piece from David Matthews. She gave its first performance in the version for violin and orchestra in October 2012, and in this violin and piano version the following month. It is a remarkable work, thoroughly of today but filled with lyricism and warmth.

    Madeleine Mitchell has performed in over 50 countries and is one of the UK’s most distinguished violinists; she is a ‘pioneer of new music’ (The Times) and specializes in new music of the more lyrical kind rather than the avant-garde. She recently premiered Guto Puw’s Violin Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales – another work included in the Violin Muse album.

  • 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’.