Introducing "Environments," from acclaimed composer Greg Caffrey, a poignant journey through landscapes both physical and emotional. Recorded in the heart of Belfast at the historic Townsend Street Church, this album captures the essence of a city marked by its tumultuous history and resilient spirit. Caffrey's compositions, brought to life by the renowned Ulster Orchestra, reflect his own personal journey from the streets of West Belfast to international acclaim.

The album opens with "Environments I & II," two pieces born from Caffrey's residencies in Paris, showcasing his mastery of orchestral composition. From the grandeur of a full symphony orchestra to the intimacy of chamber music, these works explore a range of rich sonic landscapes. Each note is imbued with the composer's profound connection to his surroundings, offering a window into his creative process.

"A Terrible Beauty," the centerpiece of the album, unfolds over three movements inspired by the poetry of WB Yeats. Caffrey's response to the poetry is both evocative and introspective, weaving together themes of beauty, pain, and resilience. With each movement, the music transports listeners on a visceral journey through the depths of human experience, culminating in a profound exploration of the human spirit.

Closing the album is "Aingeal," a deeply personal work written in tribute to a loved one. Set against a backdrop of strings and percussion, the music captures the raw emotions of grief and loss, offering solace and catharsis in its haunting melodies. Through "Environments," Greg Caffrey invites listeners to reflect on their own environments, both internal and external, and discover the beauty in life's most poignant moments.

Conducted by Sinead Hayes with soloists Craig Ogden (guitar) and Daniel Browell (piano).

Note:
"Environments II" is a prizewinning work in the International Conductors Union Composition Contest, Ukraine 2021.

"A Terrible Beauty" is a recommended work in the 4th Uuno Klami Composition Prize.

Stevens manages to blend the often dominating clarinet with subtle warmth and colour with the strings, giving the Clarinet Quintet a distinctive character of its own. An important strand in Stevens’ compositional output since 2007 has been writing music for relatively neglected instruments such as the tuba, the piccolo and the bassoon, and this strand was strengthened in the autumn of 2015 when he wrote a collection of six pieces for double bass and piano, to which Chasing Shadows and Obsession belong.

The Fantasy Trio (2009) is a relatively rare instance of a substantial chamber work combining the classical guitar with mainstream orchestral instruments. The Romantic Fantasy for flute (doubling piccolo), B flat clarinet, string quartet and harp (2010), is written for the same forces as Ravel’s ground-breaking Introduction and Allegro. The Romantic Fantasy is an ambitious work in one movement, an unbroken span of twenty three minutes’ music. British composer Robin Stevens (b. 1958) is a great talent who is being discovered by the global music community, due in part to the critical acclaim given to the 3 previous Divine Art albums of his music. His varied, stimulating and expressive work arises from many influences – from the music of the Romantic era, to mathematics, his faith and inspiration of his teachers, and he is now producing substantial works for varied instrumental groupings, which are modernist and original, but yet immediately accessible.

David Juritz writes: “The dilemma faced by any arranger of Bach is to stay true to the character of his music while knowing he would have been far bolder and more imaginative. For this version, I have attempted to remain within a sound-world that he would have found familiar. I did, however, have two factors on my side: Bach’s sublime and rigorous counterpoint and, in Craig Ogden, a virtuoso guitarist whose technical accomplishment is matched only by his Aussie ability to remain unruffled in the face of any challenge.”

Lisa Friend leads this collection of original works and transcriptions for flute and guitars, joined by Craig Ogden and the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet. The wide-ranging programme includes Fauré’s Pavane and Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise. Lisa Friend (Flautist) has appeared as a soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Prague Philharmonic, Virtuosi Pragenses Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Oxford Philharmonic and has toured throughout much of Europe, Asia and the USA. Lisa has recorded as a solo/chamber artist for Silva Screen, Universal, Chandos, Champs Hill and Signum Records. Her previous album 'Essence' has been aired on Classic FM, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio London, WQXR Classical Radio, New York and WFMT Radio, Chicago.

This collection of works for guitar and orchestra is celebratory in more ways than one. In its choice of composers it highlights a neat progression of anniversaries: 2001 marks the eightieth birthday of Sir Malcolm Arnold, 2002 the centenary of Sir William Walton and 2003 the centenary of Sir Lennox Berkeley. This is also a celebration of the guitar itself as these works represent an approach independent of traditionally Spanish and Latin-American orientated or inspired music. Recorded in: Jubilee Hall, Newcastle 20-21 January 2001 Producer(s) Ralph Couzens Sound Engineer(s) Jonathan Cooper Christopher Brooke (Assistant)

This disc is pure joy… Craig Ogden… has always chosen his recital programmes with wisdom, and, as a performer in the specialised realm of the classical guitar, he has opened our ears to the instrument's breadth of repertory and to its expressive potential. -- The Daily Telegraph "CD of the Week"