Bbc Focus 2024

Following a devastating cancer diagnosis in September 2022, Adrian Sutton, composer of the music for War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and other National Theatre productions, made a conscious decision to change his focus, committing himself to working solely on music for the concert hall. This has led to a series of major new works, including his Violin Concerto which received its world première at the Southbank Centre in June 2023, played by Fenella Humphreys and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Adrian commented: ‘We all have limited time – and resources. How to make best use of them? In my situation, there’s only one answer: avoid egregious waste of both time and energy ruminating on things I can’t change. Instead, I can choose how I react to the facts – and I’m choosing not to be a victim.’ This new album of world-première record ings reflects the composer’s new focus. Of the album, Adrian Sutton says: ‘Here's the real musical me. My core musical DNA. The Violin Concerto in particular (being a violinist myself) is for me the main course on this disc, but the other works are a showcase for what I’ve always been about… ranging from the bracing and instrumentally challenging A Fist Full of Fives through to orchestral suites derived from my theatre works. I’m very proud of them all, and pleased to have had the opportunity to share them.’

World-renowned archivist, author and blues educator Stefan Grossman learned from the greats during the folk and blues revival of the 1960s in the United States. He appeared on a few records in the mid-60s before releasing his debut album, How To Play Blues Guitar (Elektra, 1966).

The Catalan Roberto Gerhard studied piano with Granados, and was the only Spanish composer to study with Arnold Schoenberg. It was, however, over twenty years before he committed himself to writing twelve-tone music. In the interim, his output brought a new focus and precision (owing more to Stravinsky and Bartók) to the Spanish style. All the works on this album were composed in that period. Dating from the early 1940s, his ballet Alegrías was originally conceived for two pianos, but soon evolved into the four-movement suite heard here.

This album, released by The Gustav Holst Society, with Albion Records, is in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Gustav Holst's birth on 21 September 1874. It is based on chamber works written or arranged for violin with either voice or another instrument, by Holst himself and four composers who were contemporary with him - with a focus on neglected works but including a new arrangement of one very popular piece. Distinguished violinist Hannah Roper is joined by Martin Jacoby at the piano, by soprano Emma Tring and by harpist Valeria Clarke.

On the liner notes of the original release of LADDERS in 2023, the legendary UK tastemaker and DJ Don Letts wrote, "I don't know how this Washington, DC-based dub reggae outfit was brought up, but for the most part, like me, they seem to have been raised with sixties pop hitting them in one ear and seventies reggae hitting them in the other." That very apt description comes further into focus with the complete dub version of LADDERS, called THE GHOST OF LADDERS, to be released in May. Named to echo the pivotal Burning Spear dub album Garvey's Ghost, the new record has every track from the original album dubbed by Latin-GRAMMY winner Victor Rice, who engineered the original album, and has done dub mixes for tons of artists, from The Soothsayers and Cas Haley to Easy Star All-Stars and SunDub. The original album was picked as an Album of the Year by BBC 6 Music for 2023. Guitarist Jorge Pezzimenti said about the project, “We are excited for fans to hear these dub versions of these songs, because it highlights how much energy and focus we put on the instrumental layers in our songs."

Sir Cliff Richard OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor.