Champs Hill Records

In his dual role as violinist-composer, Ittai Shapira is a rarity in the 21st century, but follows a long line of musicians who, in writing and performing their own works, have relished both forms of creativity. This disc features 3 works for violin and orchestra with some remarkable inspirations.

A new disc of works by David Bowerman and performed by some of the country's finest musicans, 'these compositions are more reflective, than futuristic. I unashamedly draw on music that has meant much to me; a love of the music of Elgar and the organ works of César Franck.'

The Gould Trio present an exhilarating set of the complete works for piano trio by Antonin Dvorak in a 2CD set, 'a fascinating journey of emotional experience.'

It’s a mere truism to say that Beethoven, Brahms and Mussorgsky were hugely important composers for the piano; but the nature of their achievements and the extent of their contributions were very different.

Stephen De Pledge explores works by all three of these composers on this disc, centered around Mussorgsky's great Pictures At An Exhibition.

A new recording of Bach solo partitas and sonatas for flute from leading flautist Daniel Pailthorpe.

One of the few orchestral principals of international standing who plays on a modern wooden flute, Daniel Pailthorpe is accompanied in the Sonatas by Julian Milford on a modern piano.

The disc also includes the famous Orchestral Suite in B minor, recorded with the London Conchord Ensemble on modern instruments, about which Gramophone magazine said: “The best thing on this disc is the performance by Daniel Pailthorpe, thrown off with splendid vigour and virtuosity”

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Over the last 10 years, The Music Room at Champs Hill, a private 160-seat concert hall in the West Sussex countryside, has become a venue of choice for recitals and chamber music, both live and for recordings. Autumn 2009 brings the launch of Champs Hill Records, an independent label dedicated to recordings made at the hall.Among the first releases on the label are ‘Call me Flott', a collection of light-hearted songs by, among others, Britten, Barber, Poulenc, Berlin, Coward and Porter; Dame Felicity Lott, joined here by Graham Johnson, enjoys a warm association with Champs Hill – in fact, she was the artist who, in 1999, gave the inaugural recital at the hall.The Music Room at Champs Hill, and Champs Hill Records are run as not-for-profit concerns. "It's not about making money, it's about giving people the chance to hear some of the finest musicians in the world, and about providing a platform for some of the marvellous young instrumentalists who are on their way up. With Champs Hill Records we're also keen to present relatively little-known music that is unlikely to stand a chance with the big labels."

Among artists who have performed or recorded at the hall are Sir Thomas Allen, Christine Brewer, Ian Bostridge, Simon Keenlyside, Viktoria Mullova, Stephen Isserlis, Raphael Wallfisch, Nikolai Demidenko, Judith Weir, Simon Callow, the Belcea Quartet, the Nash Ensemble and English Chamber Orchestra; and the diverse array of composers in the 2009 / 2010 release schedule are Bach, Dring, Elgar, Franck, Goetz, Howells, Ireland, Menotti, Messiaen, Poulenc, Rachmaninov, Schnittke, Schubert and Shostakovich; with artists including Dame Felicity Lott, Daniel Hope, Julian Lloyd Webber, John McCabe, Daniel Pailthorpe, Ittai Shapira, Conchord, Pro Arte Quartet and the Schubert Ensemble.