Wilfred Heaton: The Reluctant Composer – Coming to Divine Art in 2025

Sheffield-born composer Wilfred Heaton (1918-2000) is a household name in the brass band world, where some of his early worlds enjoy ‘classic’ status. After his death a ‘hidden’ side of his creativity came to light when manuscripts of orchestral and instrumental music were discovered in which he used to call his “unregarded corner”.  With this release, Murray McLachlan and friends shed new light on the work of this reluctant genius with premiere recordings of instrumental music and songs spanning some six decades, including the first performance of his monumental Piano Sonata composed in the early 1950s.

Heaton spent half his life-time not composing all. Yet he was highly skilled, a gifted child from a very poor background, who had all the tools to be one of the top composers of his day. He said on the phone to Paul Hindmarsh, his biographer and producer of this album, just before he took ill for the last time that he felt the impulse to compose from before his teens, and that “I suppose the impulse never leaves you”. Yet he set his face against composing from his mid 30s, having promised himself that if he couldn’t escape from the “incarceration” of the band world, he would give up composing altogether. He did not find the London composing scene congenial when he tasted it, and for many reasons, stopped new work altogether, relying on recycling and re-purposing what he’d already written.

Having trained as a brass instrument repairer, he changed tack in the 1950s and spent the second half of his life as a teacher and professional conductor based in Harrogate (he was very well respected in Yorkshire). He was also a brilliant pianist (having obtained his LRAM performance diploma at 18). Heaton could have earned his living as a pianist and conductor, had he not been so reluctant and lacking in self-confidence.  Hopefully this new album will bring Heaton new admirers from outside the brass band community.

The performers on the album are among the elite of North West England’s talent and will bring out the brilliance of Heaton’s writing to full effect.

Album details:

• Title: Wilfred Heaton: A Reluctant Composer
• Label: Divine Art
• Catalogue number: DDX 21138
• Composer: Wilfred Heaton
• Works:
  • Piano Sonata (performing edition by Paul Hindmarsh)
  • Three Pieces for Piano, Op. 2
  • Pilgrim Reflections for piano (arranged by Paul Hindmarsh)
  • Little Suite for flute and piano*
  • Four Vignettes for clarinet and piano** (arranged by Paul Hindmarsh)
  • Hay Harvest for soprano and piano***
  • The Dove’s Answer for soprano and piano***
  • O Fortune for unaccompanied soprano***
  • The Chief Glory for soprano and piano*** (arranged by Paul Hindmarsh)
  • Welcome for Me for high voice and piano***
• Artists
  • Lesley-Jane Rogers (soprano) ***
  • Alex Jakeman (flute)*
  • Ronald Woodley (clarinet)**
  • Murray McLachlan (piano)
  • To be recorded at Stoller Hall, Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester in August 2024
• Recording engineer: James Cardell-Oliver
• Producer: Paul Hindmarsh