Henry I King of England

Since the dawn of music, composers have sought inspiration in nature. No source is more rich, dramatic, and endlessly diverse than the animal kingdom. This World Animal Day (October 4), enter a unique sonic zoo with the release of the magnificent new collection, "A Musical Bestiary." This album explores classical music's longstanding and loving gaze on animals. Experience the unexpected terror of nocturnal creatures and mythical monsters, be captivated by playful portrayals of mischievous creatures, and revel in the majestic spectacle of birds soaring through the sky and horses galloping across the land. From Saint-Saëns's famous zoological fantasies ("The Carnival of the Animals") to undiscovered gems that beautifully capture the essence of living creatures, this collection draws on music from centuries of repertoire to create a diverse and moving program. Whether drawing from folk tales, sophisticated poetry, or simply responding to vivid imagery, these composers' works powerfully demonstrate that the animal kingdom is one of classical music's richest sources of character and drama.

In the North of England in the early 1970s, a very strange musical phenomenon evolved. Club-going Mods who loved soul music were either bored with the output of Tamla Motown or simply hungry for more music in a similar vein. So club DJs went out hunting for a new supply of soul music. They found it in the form of singles released by smaller American record labels, like Ric-Tic, Golden World, Okeh, Mirwood, Shout and dozens more. The movement came to be known as Northern Soul and though it persists in a nostalgic form today it had its heyday in the mid to late 1970s. All of that excitement and some of the rarest records can be found on this comprehensive collection.

Publishers Weekly called Katherine the Queen “Rich, perceptive, and creative.” In Royal Renegades, Porter examines the turbulent lives of the children of Charles I and the English Civil Wars.