Turning Towards You – music by Robin Walker
Chosen as one of his ‘Records of the Year 2019’by Richard Hanlon (MusicWeb International)
Robin Walker began his musical life as Head Chorister at York Minster then studied under David Lumsdaine at Durham and Anthony Milner at the Royal College of Music. His early work was seriously modernist but since the 1980s he has worked on an ‘instinctual’ approach involving a relationship with Nature, a sense of Place and our position within it, even including ‘folk-style’ elements – also to some extent informed by studying the music and dance of India.
Leading soloists and the award winning Manchester Sinfonia present a range of works for solo instruments and the remarkable and inspired Concerto for Violin, Recorder and Strings (‘A Prayer and a Dance of Two Spirits’); the album follows a purely orchestral set recently issued by Toccata.
John Turner is one of the world’s leading recorder players with a long and distinguished career; Emma McGrath is currently concertmaster/principal violin of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; Jennifer Langridge is a busy soloist and chamber musician and has been principal cello of Psappha for 24 years. Leon Bosch is an internationally renowned double bass virtuoso with over a dozen solo albums to his name; Min-Jung Kym is a Steinway Artist with a very successful career, having already performed with many leading orchestras and she was pianist of choice of legendary violinist Ruggiero Ricci.
Track Listing
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Robin Walker (b.1953):
- A Prayer and a Dance of Two Spirits - I (13:07)
- A Prayer and a Dance of Two Spirits - II (10:42)
- The Song of Bone on Stone (13:20)
- I Thirst (7:42)
- Turning Towards You (10:42)
- His Spirit over the Waters (9:14)
- A Rune for St Mary's (5:34)
- She took me down to Cayton Bay (4:39)
Reviews
“Walker’s aesthetic draws on melodic contours and rhythmic gestures evocative of English folk song. The music is tranquil and glistening indeed, and is a satisfying tour de force.
” —Tom Bickley
“Gorgeous throughout, a characteristic enhanced by the spot-on intonation of the performers. The music of Robin Walker is engaging and effectively written, and will provide enjoyment to anyone who will give a listen.
” —David deBoor Canfield
“A well done collection… phenomenally captivating… delightful and immense!
” —Stephanie Boyd
“Walker is a meticulous craftsman… Collectively these seven works constitute a rounded portrait of a truly multi-faceted composer. Performances by all the contributors on this disc are both committed and convincing. The recording is intimate yet detailed throughout. I fervently hope that there is more music by this superb composer in the pipeline.
” —Richard Hanlon
“Walker wants people to sit and listen to his music for pleasure, and not sit admiring how clever he is… all in all: an outstanding album that’s a real gem.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“Original, distinctive… a true musical voice. Strongly recommended.
” —Robert Matthew-Walker
“Magical, indeed spiritual music that deserves far more exposure than it receives. The present album, excellently performed and warmly recorded. Miracles happen in track after track.. Don’t let this pass you by.
” —Geoff Brown
“The opening work on this CD, A Prayer and a Dance of Two Spirits (2007) immediately appealed to me. It is a masterpiece. This is a fascinating CD. It introduces several diverse works by Robin Walker composed over a quarter of a century. All are enjoyable, approachable and interesting.
” —John France
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