Release date: 25 October 2024
The debut album from composer Freya Waley-Cohen, whose distinctive voice in contemporary classical music draws inspiration from literature, folklore, and the natural world, and is characterized by its vivid imagery and emotional depth.
Waley-Cohen describes the album as a collection akin to a gallery exhibition, where each piece stands alone as a work of art but gains deeper meaning through the sequence and context provided by the album as a whole. "I picture coming across a beautiful old box," she explains, "and opening it to find a different sort of collection, one of otherworldly happenings: of spirits, conjurings, magical objects, and a book of spells."
The title track Spell Book, performed by Héloïse Werner (soprano), Katie Bray (mezzo-soprano), Fleur Barron (mezzo-soprano) and Manchester Collective, is based on poems from WITCH by Rebecca Tamás, and delves into the rituals of spellcasting through a series of spell-songs. These compositions transform the concert hall into a space of ritual, where words and music intertwine to influence the universe itself. From the rebellious spirit of Lilith to the seismic shifts of spell for change, each piece is a vivid exploration of transformation, power, and the profound connection between the individual and the larger forces at play.
Also featured on the album is: Conjure – a spellbinding trio that draws inspiration from séances and the mystical power of the number three performed by Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin) Anne Beilby (viola), and Nathaniel Boyd (cello); Talisman, which weaves a tale of magical objects imbued with meaning through rituals and stories, and where each of the 13 string players is treated as a soloist, creating a tapestry of sound that explores the liminal space between belief and scepticisms, where the power of a talisman lies in its ability to evoke both; and Naiad – a tribute to her mentor the late Oliver Knussen, which carries the listener into a world of delicate natural beauty.
Manchester Collective
Héloïse Werner soprano
Katie Bray mezzo-soprano
Fleur Barron mezzo-soprano
Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin
Anne Beilby viola
Nathaniel Boyd cello
AUDIO
REVIEWS
GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE (DECEMBER 2024)
'Spell Book is sophisticated, contemporary and feminist - even quite confronting.' BBC Music Magazine
'Spell Book sets a magical atmosphere through genuinely creative new music... This is a composer to watch’ Matthew Ash, Prestomusic
'Unsettling and dark though the mood is, Waley-Cohen shows us how she can create shades of light and shadow by her expert use of the instrumental palette.' Philip Harrison, MusicWeb International
'An unsettling strangeness ... this piece constantly keeps the listener engaged ... the singing is superlative and engrossing, and Anna Hashimoto’s clarinet playing is strikingly good.' The Arts Desk
'ethereal, wispy musical ideas pass over and under one another to create vivid imagery' ★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording, BBC Music Magazine
'sharply defined expressive gestures with a formal process, logical but never predictable’ Richard Whitehouse, Gramophone
FUNDERS
Thank you to the trusts, foundations and individuals who are investing in NMC’s Debut Discs series:
The Coln Trust
The Rainbow Dickinson Trust
The Garrick Charitable Trust
The John Ireland Charitable Trust
The Patrick Rowland Foundation
Terry Holmes
Bill Connor
The Golsoncott Foundation
Fidelio Charitable Trust
Backstage Trust
The Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust
The Nicholas & Judith Goodison’s
Charitable Settlement
Robert McFarland
James and Anne Rushton
Martin Staniforth
Duncan Tebbet
Judith Weir
and everyone who donated through NMC’s Debut Disc Appeal
Freya Waley-Cohen would like to thank: The Hinrichsen Foundation, The Marks Family Trust, The Nicholas Berwin Charitable Trust, The Peter Samuel Charitable Trust, Simon Majaro, Jonathan Silver and Karl Sydow for supporting Spell Book.
RECORDING CREDITS
Conjure was recorded at All Saints, East Finchley on 22 April 2024.
ADAQ KHAN Recording Engineer
JIM UNWIN Producer and Editing
Talisman was recorded by the BBC at Stoller Hall, Manchester on 25 March 2021.
TOM PARNELL Recording Engineer
LES PRATT Producer
Naiad and Spell Book were recorded at Victoria Hall, Manchester between 2–3 February 2024.
MANCHESTER COLLECTIVE Rakhi Singh Violin I, Eva Thorarinsdottir Violin II, Lucy Nolan Viola, Peggy Nolan Cello, Diane Clark Double Bass, Helen Wilson Flute, Anna Hashimoto Clarinet, Katherine Tinker Piano, Céline Saout Harp.
BRENDAN WILLIAMS Recording Engineer
MATTHEW BENNETT Producer
JIM UNWIN Album Mastering
JULIA SOBOLEVA Cover Art
Catalogue no: NMCD284