Double Act (2007)

Hilary Browning cello
Ian Buckle piano

Lovebytes (2002-2003)
Lonely is Not the Word (Laura-Kate Gordon)
A Lucky Charm (Deryn Rees-Jones)
Interlude
De Profundis (Adrian Henri)

Claire Booth soprano

Ensemble 10/10
Clark Rundell conductor


Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
(1991-1997, rev 2003)
Part 1
Part 2

Anthony Marwood violin

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Gerard Schwarz conductor

Liverpool-born composer Stephen Pratt celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this year. He has a long association with the RLPO, dating back to 1980 when Simon Rattle conducted the premiere of his orchestral work Some of their Number.

The title work of this new CD of his work is the song cycle Lovebytes, which was nominated for a British Composers’ Award by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters in 2004. It sets poems by Adrian Henri, Deryn Rees-Jones and the composer’s daughter, Laura-Kate Gordon, portraying differing aspects of love. The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, first heard at the Phil in 2003, was described by the Daily Telegraph’s music critic David Fanning as ‘impressively austere’. The recently-completed Double Act, written for the 10th anniversary of Ensemble 10/10, completes the disc.

Stephen Pratt is Professor of Music at Liverpool Hope University and Emeritus Professor of Music at Gresham College, London. The cover photograph of the album was taken by Wirral artist Peter Dover.