Judith Owen Somebodys Child

British singer/songwriter Judith Owen, for whom Here is her fifth self-released album, is the ideal performer for music fans who wish Joni Mitchell had gone on making records like Blue and For the Roses back in the first half of the '70s. Owen sounds like she has a complete collection of Mitchell's albums, at least up as far as The Hissing of Summer Lawns, that is, and also a general familiarity with the works of Carole King, Kate Bush, and Tori Amos.

After a celebrated career, which has seen her release a number of critically acclaimed albums, tour the world and receive praise from the likes of Annie Lennox and Jamie Cullum, Judith Owen - powerhouse British vocalist, pianist and songwriter - has reached her creative happy place with brand new album, 'Come On & Get It' This next iteration of Owen finds her right back at the beginning of her journey into life as a musician as a six-year-old music-loving kid, with her headphones on, singing along to the jazz records she'd discovered via her parent's record collection in her bedroom. It starts with the arrival of her 13th album, 'Come On & Get It', which is a collection of the songs that soundtracked her youth. Featuring tracks by a legion of female jazz musicians from the '40s and '50s, including Nellie Lutcher, Blossom Dearie and Julia Lee, the album showcases talents who sparked a flame in Owen as a child but who haven't received the widespread recognition they deserve.

After a celebrated career, which has seen her release a number of critically acclaimed albums, tour the world and receive praise from the likes of Annie Lennox and Jamie Cullum, Judith Owen - powerhouse British vocalist, pianist and songwriter - has reached her creative happy place with brand new album, 'Come On & Get It' This next iteration of Owen finds her right back at the beginning of her journey into life as a musician as a six-year-old music-loving kid, with her headphones on, singing along to the jazz records she'd discovered via her parent's record collection in her bedroom. It starts with the arrival of her 13th album, 'Come On & Get It', which is a collection of the songs that soundtracked her youth. Featuring tracks by a legion of female jazz musicians from the '40s and '50s, including Nellie Lutcher, Blossom Dearie and Julia Lee, the album showcases talents who sparked a flame in Owen as a child but who haven't received the widespread recognition they deserve.

Judith Hill has been praised by Rolling Stone for her “stellar powerhouse vocals.” In addition to penning and performing her own material, Judith – who wrote her first song at the age of four – has backed such artists as Stevie Wonder and the late Michael Jackson. Hers is one of the stories told in director Morgan Neville’s acclaimed 20 Feet From Stardom, a film that shines the spotlight on the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century.

There could hardly be any contrast more striking than that of "Messiah" with these delicate miniatures composed by Handel during his stay in Italy before he settled in London. They are vocal chamber music of the highest quality. They give no inkling that the graceful young composer might later produce anything like the "Hallelujah" chorus, though there is a clear pre-echo of "For unto us a child is born."

Since Westminster Mass (2000) established Roxanna Panufnik’s firm place among today’sleading British composers, she has often been celebrated for her choral music. Her instrumental and chamber works, however, are equally striking, filled with dazzling imagination and poetic lightness of touch. Her latest album Heartfelt encompasses compassion, tragedy and irresistible humour, while demonstrating her passion for exploring diverse musical cultures, from East Sussex to Myanmar.

Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva perform a stunning selection of French 20th-century music for piano four hands. Both Milhaud and Poulenc were members of Les Six, a band of composers who specialised in producing colourful, quirky and highly original scores. Milhaud’s Scaramouche epitomises the wit and joie de vivre of this approach and has become one of his most popular works – although at the time the composer nearly forbade its publication. Poulenc combined grace and sparkling humour with a nobility that reflected his desire for a ‘return to simplicity’. His Élégie was written ‘as if improvising with a cigar in your mouth and a glass of cognac on the table’, while the Sonata for Four Hands is full of finger-crossing intricacies, and at the heart of the Sonata for Two Pianos is an Andantino described by the composer as ‘a lyrical, profound outburst… It is piano without pretence, real piano where each instrument converses with the other in perfect understanding and without interrupting.’ Debussy’s evocative Nocturnes arranged by Ravel conclude the release.