The Food of Love, FLYCUB20113, Nigel Hess
Format: CD
Price: £10.00
The Food Of Love
Click here to listen to excerpts from the 'The Food Of Love' CD
Following the worldwide success of Nigel Hess’s latest soundtrack recording, Ladies in Lavender, with Joshua Bell and the Royal Philharmonic Recording (featured in Classic FM’s ‘Hall of Fame’ since its release), Cube Soundtracks is delighted to announce Nigel’s next album, The Food of Love, also with the internationally-renowned Royal Philharmonic. The majority of Nigel’s theatre scores have been written for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and this recording in new orchestrations by the composer features twelve RSC scores, together with music for the West End and Chichester Festival Theatre. The original arrangements were, by necessity, for modest forces – usually between six and twelve musicians. They are presented here re-orchestrated for full symphony orchestra, while still retaining the flavour of the scoring as heard in Stratford-upon-Avon and London.
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The debut album of Nigel’s vocal group Chameleon (recently reissued as Saylon Dola) won the Music Retailers Association Award for Best MOR Vocal Album, with tracks from the album subsequently covered by several artists, including tenor Russell Watson.
Nigel has also composed much concert music, particularly for symphonic wind band, with commissions from the Royal Air Force and the Band of the Coldstream Guards. The Way of Light, a large work for actors, choir and orchestra, was performed in St Paul’s Cathedral in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and the Prince of Wales.
Following successful concerts with the RPO at St.John's Smith Square and the Royal Festival Hall, Nigel recently conducted highlights of his scores for the Royal Shakespeare Company, together with music from other Shakespearean productions, for a Gala evening called The Food Of Love. Hosted by Dame Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart, the sell-out concert took place at Cadogan Hall, London, and there are now plans for both national and international tours of the production.
2007 sees the premiere of Nigel's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, commissioned by HRH The Prince of Wales in memory of his grandmother. The soloist will be internationally-renowned pianist Lang Lang. Other commissions for 2007 include a new ballet based on The Old Man of Lochnagar, a children's story written by the Prince of Wales in 1980. This will be premiered by the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain.
Track Listing
The Food of Love Insert
1. ‘The Entry to the Senate’ from Julius Caesar
2. ‘The Christening and Coronation’ from Henry VIII
3. ‘The Statue’ from The Winter’s Tale
4. A Christmas Carol
5. The Secret of Sherlock Holmes
6. ‘Sigh No More’ from Much Ado About Nothing
7. The Comedy of Errors
8. Love’s Labour’s Lost
9. Troilus and Cressida
10. ‘Come, some music! come, the recorders!’ from Hamlet
11. ‘Overture’ from Much Ado About Nothing
12. ‘Willow Song’ from Othello
13. Cyrano de Bergerac
14. ‘Feste’s Songs’ from Twelfth Night
‘The Entry to the Senate’ from Julius Caesar
Starring Peter McEnery and David Schofield, this production featured a spectacular senate scene, complete with the organ of Coventry Cathedral. A battalion of brass players surrounded the auditorium, fanfaring the imminent death of Caesar himself.
‘The Christening and Coronation’ from Henry VIII
This production for Chichester Festival Theatre saw Keith Michell reprising his BBC TV portrayal of the portly Henry, with a cast which also included Dorothy Tutin as Queen Katherine, Tony Britton as Cardinal Wolsey, Fiona Fullerton as Anne Bullen and a young Ruthie Henshall as a Lady in Waiting.
‘The Statue’ from The Winter’s Tale
“Music, awake her, strike!” So says Paulina as the statue of Hermione comes to life at the end of this magical play. “Descend; be stone no more; approach; strike all that look upon with marvel.” In this production Jeremy Irons played a memorable Leontes.
A Christmas Carol
A Fantasia on Christmas carols old and new adapted from the score of Ian Judge’s hugely successful production of the Charles Dickens classic, adapted by John Mortimer. Clive Francis played the irrascable Scrooge.
The Secret of Sherlock Holmes
Music from the West End production starring Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke reprising their Holmes and Watson TV characters.
‘Sigh No More’ from Much Ado About Nothing
A song from Terry Hands’ celebrated production which toured extensively, including seasons in Los Angeles (as the centrepiece of the Olympic Arts Festival) and on Broadway. The score, together with Cyrano de Bergerac (playing in repertory with Much Ado), won the New York Drama Desk Award for ‘Outstanding Music in a Play’.
The Comedy of Errors
This version of Shakespeare’s ‘two sets of twins’ comedy took a bold step in having Desmond Barrit and Graham Turner playing two parts each – so the twins really were identical! The music reflects the magical and madcap nature of the production, including the moment towards the end of the suite where our distraught heroes seek refuge in a nearby abbey. Of course everything is resolved at the end, and, as Dromio says, “We came into the world like brother and brother; and now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another”.
Love’s Labour’s Lost
Ian Judge’s magical production was set in the confines of an Oxbridge college, a perfect setting for the story of four headstrong students who, against their own self-imposed rules, fall hopelessly in love with four young girls visiting from the French court. In the famous letter scene Owen Teale (as Ferdinand, King of Navarre) and Jeremy Northam (as Berowne) actually sang their outpourings, while in the distance we can hear the college choir singing Evensong as the evening bell chimes.
Troilus and Cressida
In the original scoring for this production, the Greeks were represented by a saxophone quartet, the Trojans by a brass quintet. Although reorchestrated for more conventional forces, a wailing soprano sax still depicts the agony of the Greek champion Achilles and his refusal to fight. David Suchet played Achilles in this uncompromising version directed by Terry Hands.
‘Come, some music! come, the recorders!’ from Hamlet
A musical interlude from the Ron Daniels production with Roger Rees as Hamlet. Frances Barber played Ophelia, Brian Blessed played Claudius, Kenneth Branagh played Laertes, and Virgina McKenna Gertrude. And way down the cast list was a young Cathy Tyson playing a ‘Lady’.
‘Overture’ from Much Ado About Nothing
Actually used as the entr’acte in the production itself, this concert overture uses material from the joyous dance sequences scattered throughout the well-known love story of Beatrice and Benedict, played on this occasion by Sinead Cusack and Derek Jacobi.
‘Willow Song’ from Othello
A powerful production of Shakespeare’s dark tragedy, with Ben Kingsley as Othello and David Suchet as Iago. Niamh Cusack played the betrayed Desdemona, who pours out her despair in a song containing some of Shakespeare’s most poignant lyrics.
Cyrano de Bergerac
The Terry Hands production which toured the world and ended with a hugely successful Broadway run. Derek Jacobi played Rostand’s hero opposite Sinead Cusack’s Roxane, while Pete Postlethwaite gave his Ragueneau!
‘Feste’s Songs’ from Twelfth Night
Some of Shakespeare’s most popular and memorable songs feature in Twelfth Night, and these timeless lyrics have been set by literally hundreds of composers. A wonderful cast brought this production to life, and included Desmond Barrit, Emma Fielding, Haydn Gwynne, Tony Britton, Bille Brown and Derek Griffiths as the jester Feste, who is not such a fool as he appears. Here he brings the play – and our recording – to a thoughtful close.
Reviews
"The high ceremonial of Anne's coronation and the christening of the princess Elizabeth are made by Nigel Hess's music, Gloria and Jubilate."
Andrew St George, Financial Times
"....an elaborate score by Nigel Hess that takes full advantage of the Chichester Cathedral Choir...."
Irving Wardle, Independent on Sunday
"I should guess that in years to come this production will chiefly be remembered for Nigel Hess's music...."
Sunday Telegraph
"It is impossible to imagine a season without the melodic contributions of Nigel Hess."
Michael Coveney, Drama Magazine
"....a splendidly full-blooded score from Nigel Hess...."
Irving Wardle, The Times
"Remarkably catchy music (Shakespeare's greatest hits?) is supplied by Nigel Hess. His more solemn setting of ‘Sigh no more, ladies’ deserves to be more than a hit: a standard."
Robert Cushman, The Observer
"Nigel Hess's clever music, indulging in all kinds of aural smirks, outraces the stage action and becomes something like a laugh track that's run amok."
John Simon, New York Magazine
"Nigel Hess's music allows an audience to actually leave singing the play."
Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post
"A delightful, ethereal music score by Nigel Hess."
Bernard Weiner, San Francisco Chronicle
"This production is an iridescent reverie, as delicate as the wind chimes that shimmer in Nigel Hess's exceptionally beautiful score."
Frank Rich, New York Times
Recommendations
Other Nigel Hess releases include: