"Beautiful and intriguing": more praise for Sadie Harrison

Sadie Harrison's album of chamber music, 'Solos and Duos for Strings and Piano' has received yet more outstanding reviews.

The CD was released in July by Toccata Classics and was described as having a "glittering intensity" by The Guardian's Fiona Maddocks.

Now, the album has been praised by Kate Wakeling in the BBC Music Magazine.

Wakeling writes:

"This collection of works by Sadie Harrison is a vivid exploration of the miniature. No single movement exceeds four minutes and the shortest is just 24 seconds, yet these five magnetic works explore content and form with a dazzling intensity. Many of the compositions are exphrastic in nature: Hidden Ceremonies 'fragments' in sound the huge canvasses of contemporary artist Brian Graham in nine arresting movements for solo piano; while Gallery is by turns meditative and skittish, exploring the paintings and drawings of artist and violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved who also performs the work (and writes the disc's engaging liner notes).

"The collection closely reflects the composer's interest in antiquity (Harrison is also an archaeologist) with further works for solo violin and viola inspired by Greco-Roman culture, including the Three Dances for Diana Nemorensis performed with great spirit (and virtuoso foot stamping) by Diana Mathews. The disc ends with the mesmerising ..under the circle of the moon.. for violin duo. Its seven short movements take sources ranging from Durer to gemstones to human skin to Hindu cosmology, and are performed with tremendous artistry by Sheppard Skaerved joined by MIhailo Trandilovski, bringing this beautiful and intriguing disc to a powerful close."

The 'Solos and Duos for Strings and Piano' album features five of Sadie's recent works:

Gallery (Rooms 1 and 2) for solo violin (2012-14)
..ballare una passacaglia di ombre.. for solo violin (2011)
Hidden Ceremonies 1 for solo piano (2013)
Three Dances for Diana Nemorensis for solo viola (2013)
..under the circle of the moon.. for two violins (2004)

More information about Sadie and her works can be found here.