Nyland Records - CD successor to Peter & the Wolf

Keith Amos - Composer

	Born in 1939, in London, Amos graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 1960. Out of step with the then current fashion in classical music, he spent a busy and highly successful 15 years in the world of commercial music. TV, Radio and recording studios were his natural homes, plus many requests for his abilities for West End shows. Composer, arranger, orchestrator and conductor, he benefitted from working alongside the very best writers around at the time. In 1978, his natural inclination for composition regained its rightful place, and he has since written many works for nearly every medium. His music has always adhered to the 2 Holy Trinities: melody, harmony, rhythm and composer, performer, audience. He believes in the interplay of all six, and hasn't been disappointed.
One critic amongst many spoke of "Amos' outstanding compositional ability allied to highly imaginative orchestration"

Born in 1939, in London, Amos graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 1960. Out of step with the then current fashion in classical music, he spent a busy and highly successful 15 years in the world of commercial music. TV, Radio and recording studios were his natural homes, plus many requests for his abilities for West End shows.

Composer, arranger, orchestrator and conductor, he benefitted from working alongside the very best writers around at the time. In 1978, his natural inclination for composition regained its rightful place, and he has since written many works for nearly every medium. His music has always adhered to the 2 Holy Trinities: melody, harmony, rhythm and composer, performer, audience. He believes in the interplay of all six, and hasn't been disappointed.

One critic amongst many spoke of "Amos' outstanding compositional ability allied to highly imaginative orchestration"

Amos became interested in the genre of narrated stories with musical accompaniment in the early 1990s. Geraldine Russell-Price, the founder of CMA Publications and publisher of Amos' music approached him with the idea of providing a complementary musical soundscape to H.C. Andersen's wonderfully evocative story of The Steadfast Tin Soldier. With his background of film music, West End show music and many contributions for recording artists and Television shows, Amos was an ideal choice.

He finished the Piano score of The Steadfast Tin Soldier in early 1993 and immediately began scoring it for Symphony Orchestra, following a request from the BBC Philharmonic for a premiere of the work in December 1993, with Richard Baker narrating and Yan Pascal Tortelier conducting. The first performance was a great success with a broadcast on Radio 3 on Boxing Day that year. Amos then conceived two Suites for Symphony Orchestra, the main excerpts being recorded for this CD.

Lupin the Pot-Bellied Pig followed in 1996, and "Bah, Humbug!" in 2000. Amos' natural gift for colourful, programmatic music has ensured that all three works are now performed regularly, with translations in six languages. In fact, The Steadfast Tin Soldier is now being hailed as a natural successor to Peter & The Wolf.

The three works represent an important contribution to the growth of performance art. It is a genre vital to classical music's future, and unites children and adults in a highly enjoyable and educational experience.

The three pieces are represented by symphonic excerpts, whilst Lupin, the Pot-Bellied Pig is narrated in its original version as a Wind Quintet.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier
Andersen's story, although ostensibly written for children, has a strong symbolic undertone - the triumph of love over adversity. The one-legged Tin Soldier has his own theme, as does the Dancer, with whom he falls in love. The Jack-in-the-Box. Rocking Horse and Canary are some of the Soldier's fellow toys, whilst the Storm represents Life's journey and his Fanfare reveals his steadfastness. The music is colourful and perfectly matches the subject - particularly the Canary, whoes little song is quite a highlight in the show!

Lupin the Pot-Bellied Pig
Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs are extremely large and lovable. Their stomachs really do drag along the ground as they waddle along. Keith Amos met the real-life Lupin on Sark, and was immediately taken by the happy, pastoral nature of Lupin, her owner Felicity and their contented life together.

It's a simple story lasting just one day in Lupin's life. Naturally, she has a very memorable Song, which everybody is encouraged to sing. The Sark Idyll is precisely that, whilst the Camera Chase is slightly absurd! The contrast between the fast and furious music and Lupin's lumberings is very amusing. But all ends happily. A comforting story with beautiful music.

"Bah, Humbug!"
Geraldine Russell-Price adapted Dickens' well-known tale of A Christmas Carol and Scrooge's gradual conversion to a reformed. generous human being. The spooky, moody music of Scrooge's theme is conjured superbly by Amos.

This makes for atmospheric narrations and perhaps other theatrical devices. Time precluded all the ghosts' music but Tiny Tim's eventual metamorphosis with Scrooge's own transformation is caught evocatively in a riotous excerpt entitled Christmas Music. The warm finale is a fitting, feel-good coda.

Geraldine Russell-Price
It seemed a natural progression for Geraldine to proceed from being an established graphic designed and fine musician to starting a publishing company - CMA Publications. Many of her publications and cover designs have been acclaimed by her peers in the industry. An accomplished storyteller, she now turns her attention to narrating on this recording.

Lucian Russell-Price
A young man going places - in a hurry. Achieving his ATCL at 15 years old, a master musician, trumpet player, singer and impressionist, his many characterful inputs to Lupin's story are noteworthy. Watch out for him!