Edmund Finnis: The Air, Turning Mark Simpson clarinet | Víkingur Ólafsson piano Eloisa-Fleur Thom violin | Benjamin Beilman violin BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Ilan Volkov conductor Birmingham Contemporary Music Group - Richard Baker conductor London Contemporary Orchestra - Robert Ames conductor Britten Sinfonia - Andrew Gourlay conductor NMC D249 • New commission for flute, violin, and piano with Britten Sinfonia.   Lunchtime concerts 13-15 February 2019.   West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge | St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich | Wigmore Hall, London (NMC album launch - part of NMC On Tour @ 30) • NMC’s Debut Discs are musical calling cards, crucial for gifted composers in the early stages of their careers and giving them the opportunity to release a first full portrait album of their work.   Debut Discs has to date supported 15 critically-acclaimed releases since 2012. Edmund Finnis is a ‘hugely gifted composer’ (Sunday Telegraph) and his multifaceted output ranges from intimate music for soloists and duets to immersive electronic pieces, music for film, ensemble and choral music, and works for large orchestra.   This album demonstrates the breadth of Finnis' music to date with world-class ensembles and soloists including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, BCMG, London Contemporary Orchestra, Víkingur Ólafsson and Mark Simpson, along with conductors who have demonstrated a deep understanding of his music: Ilan Volkov, Richard Baker, Robert Ames and Andrew Gourlay. Finnis' compositions are beautiful and iridescent, and explore in detail the potential embodied in each of the instruments he writes for.   Two examples of this are the title track The Air, Turning which draws on the idea that music is just vibrating air and the sensation of sound moving around us and Elsewhere, written for violin with reverb, that delicately spins melodic shapes like spiderwebs, with light bowing and whispy flautando effects.   This is a stunning release from a young composer with a unique and compelling soundworld. TRACK LISTING   1. The Air, Turning     9’02       BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra • Ilan Volkov conductor   2. Elsewhere     7’55       Eloisa-Fleur Thom violin       Parallel Colour   3. I.     1’57   4. II.     1’49   5. III.     1’50   6. IV.     4’15   7. V.     1’42   8. VI.     2’42   9. VII.     1’54       Birmingham Contemporary Music Group • Richard Baker conductor 10. Between Rain     12’24       London Contemporary Orchestra • Robert Ames conductor       Four Duets 11. I.     1’57 12. II.     2’21 13. III.     2’36 14. IV.     2’20       Mark Simpson clarinet • Víkingur Ólafsson piano       Shades Lengthen 15. I.     1’50 16. II.     4’43 17. III.     5’04 18. IV.     3’33       Benjamin Beilman violin • Britten Sinfonia • Andrew Gourlay conductor Total timing     70’39 NMC Recordings are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading, P.O.Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone (03) 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile (03) 9444 6879