Alexander Armstrong

Actor, broadcaster and comedian Alexander Armstrong stars as narrator in this irresistible album of world premiere recordings, which revels in the magical colours of childhood memories. Not Now, Bernard is an all-time classic story by David McKee, set to music by Bernard Hughes (b.1974) with melodic charm and a subversive sense of fun. Alexander Armstrong recounts it along with companion piece Isabel's Noisy Tummy as well as Hughes's The Knight Who Took All Day, which challenges chivalric convention with its subversive story of female empowerment. Conductor Tom Hammond and members of the Orchestra of the Swan shape compelling interpretations, enriched by Armstrongs gleeful narration. They also raise a riot of sound in Malcolm Arnolds Toy Symphony (1957), complete with quail cuckoo, guards whistle and gloriously irritating toy trumpets. The albums mood darkens in John Irelands haunting melodrama Annabel Lee, a spine-tingling setting of Edgar Allan Poes final poem presented here in Bernard Hughess specially arranged chamber version, before Armstrong breezes through Judith Weirs brilliant Thread! (1981), an early work inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry's cartoonish images.

Alexander Armstrong explores The Southern Asian island nation of Sri Lanka.

Gangnam Style… Squid Games…K-Pop. South Korea is one of those places that's always somewhere in our consciousness, but most people know little about this extraordinary country. Divided into the distinct countries of North and South since 1953, the course of Korean history has been strongly influenced by the country's location between its two mighty neighbours - China and Japan. But despite this, unique Korean culture has retained a distinctive quality of its own. Alexander heads off to one of the most dynamic nations on earth to find out more. South Korea is a nation of contrasts, smaller than England but can feel like another planet entirely.

Alexander Armstrong explores The Southern Asian island nation of Sri Lanka.

Alexander Armstrong heads to South Korea to explore the unique culture and people of this eastern nation.

After two Top 10 albums – ‘A Year of Songs’ (2015) and ‘Upon A Different Shore’ (2016) –the actor, comedian, presenter and classically trained baritone Alexander Armstrong is set to release his first Christmas album ‘In A Winter Light’.

Alexander Armstrong returns to narration in three popular classical works for children. Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 (1936) is a 'symphonic fairy tale for children' by Sergei Prokofiev.

After two Top 10 albums – ‘A Year of Songs’ (2015) and ‘Upon A Different Shore’ (2016) –the actor, comedian, presenter and classically trained baritone Alexander Armstrong is set to release his first Christmas album ‘In A Winter Light’.

Murders, drinking songs, Cinderella stories, virtuosic cantatas, European tours, serene polyphony and candlelit rituals all feature in the evocative and story driven programmes of Apollo’s Cabinet. Winners of the Göttingen Händel Competition and the Maurizio Pratola competition in 2022, the group bring a signature mix of acting, dancing, poetry and silliness to bring historical performance to modern audiences. They have furthermore won the Brian Nisbet Prize for their fusion of Music and Poetry and most recently the F. J. Aumann Prize of the International Biber Competition for innovation and new discoveries in Baroque music.