Something for posterity…

Recordings are so numerous now through an endless choice of different channels, but it’s still a special event when one makes a ‘real’ record – and even more special when it hits the charts! ‘The Princess and the Bear’ is the colourful title of the Hyperion CD that I made with clarinettist Sarah Watts, pianist Martin Roscoe and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Sian Edwards. It was released at the end of July, and almost immediately went to No. 4 in the Specialist Classical Charts! It features a Duet-Concertino by Richard Strauss, which is actually a musical story about a princess (clarinet) and a bear (bassoon), based loosely on the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ story. It’s coupled with trios by Beethoven and Glinka – the latter being partly the inspiration for the Strauss piece. It’s had excellent reviews, and has already had quite an airing on radio stations around the world. It’s a success thanks to the hard work, enterprise and amazing generosity of many people, and I feel privileged to have been a part of it. There’s another one on the way – even bigger, with a very specific focus on the bassoon. It will be a wonderful opportunity to help put the bassoon even more firmly on the musical map, something which is long overdue, and – as many of you know – is my lifelong aim. My ambition is very definitely for the bassoon! Don’t expect a finished product for another couple of years (yes, it takes that long!) but it’s already well into the planning stages with the first recording sessions about to be booked. It’s all very exciting, so watch this space – you’ll be hearing more about it shortly…