University of York Music Press

‘The piano music on this disc’ is accounted by Gramophone reviewer Richard Whitehouse to have come ‘from the past five years, following on a comparable period when Sadie Harrison (b1965) chose to put compositional activities on hold to work as an archaeologist; an activity no doubt galvanised through her involvement with the culture, its riches so nearly obliterated during the Taliban era, of Afghanistan. This is manifest in the alternately ecstatic and ominous expression to be found in Return of the Nightingales, a field recording of which bird provides the backdrop for some intricate and fastidious writing that alludes to Messiaen and Scriabin across its eventful and increasingly intoxicating course.’

The Cross-Eyed Pianist, Frances Wilson, is similarly full of praise for this collection as she describes that it is ‘a wonderful example of Sadie’s compositional breadth and rich imagination and a lovely introduction to her colourful and accessible music. Not only does the disc demonstrate the range of Sadie’s compositional palette but it also showcases the talents of five excellent pianists – Ian Pace, Renée Reznek, Duncan Honeybourne and Philippa Harrison, all of whom have considerable experience in this type of repertoire and who bring myriad colours, timbre and musical sensitivity and individuality to each work on the disc.’

Whitehouse’s statement that the ‘disc offers much of interest for inquiring listeners and players alike’ is echoed by Wilson who remarks that ‘there is much to delight and challenge the pianist.’ Whitehouse nevertheless, in praise of the recording’s pianists, further asserts that players will not find it ‘easy to match the technical finesse and interpretative insight of the pianists featured here, their playing enhanced by the realistic sound courtesy of Prima Facie.’

Ultimately, we at UYMP entirely agree with Wilson that Return of the Nightingales is a ‘wonderfully rewarding, varied and enjoyable disc, proof that contemporary piano music can be tuneful, attractive and entirely accessible.’