In dreams' projections… Duncan Honeybourne

• Sadie Harrison (b. 1965): Portraits from the Place of Yew Trees:
• 1Harrison: Portraits from the Place of Yew Trees: The Yew Trees Yorkshire Path02:11
• Sir George Cayley:
• 2Harrison: Sir George Cayley: weight, lift, drag, thrust, gravity02:14
• Blue Man-I'-th'-Moss and Auld Wife's Trod (Lyke Wake Dirge):
• 3Harrison: Blue Man-I'-th'-Moss and Auld Wife's Trod (Lyke Wake Dirge)03:51
• Aelred of Rievaulx:
• 4Harrison: Aelred of Rievaulx05:05
• Frederick Delius:
• 5Harrison: Frederick Delius: The Last Cuckoo03:15
• Mary Bateman the Yorkshire Witch:
• 6Harrison: Mary Bateman the Yorkshire Witch: Her Lullaby03:12
• Flint Willy the Shirtless:
• 7Harrison: Flint Willy the Shirtless00:48
• Amy Johnson:
• 8Harrison: Amy Johnson: The Lone Girl Flyer04:48
• Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951): Notes from Abroad:
• 9McDowall: Notes from Abroad: Virelai04:20
• Folk Song:
• 10McDowall: Folk Song05:28
• I Had a Little Bird:
• 11McDowall: I Had a Little Bird02:54
• Sadie Harrison: On a Name..:
• 12Harrison: On a Name..: "the church long in ruins"02:51
• On a Name, ii:
• 13Harrison: On a Name, ii: "disturbing the bodies of the dead"03:07
• "Wilful murder against some person unknown"v:
• 14Harrison: "Wilful murder against some person unknown"v02:13
• Andrew Downes (b. 1950): Une Promenade, op.144a:
• 15Downes: Une Promenade, op.144a04:55
• Ruth Barrett (b. 1976): Pictures in the Snow:
• 16Barrett: Pictures in the Snow04:49
• Jenni Pinnock: Musical Distancing:
• 17Pinnock: Musical Distancing04:23
• Richard Francis: Dirge for our Troubled Times:
• 18Francis: Dirge for our Troubled Times04:49
• Richard Pantcheff (b. 1959): "…thus in silence, in dreams' projections…":
• 19Pantcheff: "…thus in silence, in dreams' projections…"09:33
• Total Runtime01:14:46

Info for In dreams' projections…

Premiere recordings of piano cycles by Sadie Harrison and Cecilia McDowall, plus shorter works by Ruth Barrett, Andrew Downes, Richard Francis, Richard Pantcheff and Jenni Pinnock

English pianist Duncan Honeybourne has premiered over 70 new piano works and his recordings reflect a long association with 20th and 21st century British piano music. In dreams' projections presents an eclectic collection of new piano works written for Honeybourne by a range of composers.

"Working with living composers to bring their music to life has been one of the great joys and privileges of my career. I've had the opportunity to record many of the resulting works, but the idea of an album devoted some of those I hadn't is something that has occupied my mind for some time. Central to this disc is my working relationship with that fine and versatile composer Sadie Harrison, who has to date written four solo piano cycles for me. Sadie and I share a love of history and locality, and both of these find expression in the two works featured here. Portraits from the Place of the Yew Trees depicts Yorkshire people and places, whilst On a Name, written as a fortieth birthday gift for me, takes my own surname as a point of departure and delves into the archives to produce some unexpected sources of inspiration! The Harrison works frame a triptych by Cecilia McDowall which again reflects historical events and characters, this time in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rest of the disc is devoted to shorter pieces, several by composers who have written other works for me. Andrew Downes, Head of Composition at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for 30 years, has been a close friend and collaborator for a quarter of a century, his distinctive music woven as a thread throughout my career. I premiered his Piano Concerto at Birmingham Town Hall in 2009, and the piece on this album, Une Promenade, was composed during the 2020 pandemic. Most of the works on the album are very recent, the exception being Ruth Barrett's Pictures in the Snow, which was written when I was 16 and the composer just a year older. It was the first piece I ever premiered, in one of my first London recitals when we were both studying in the RAM Junior Department. It is Ruth's op.2, very evocative and haunting. She is now one of Britain's most successful and sought-after composers for TV and film." Duncan Honeybourne

Duncan Honeybourne has toured extensively in the UK, Ireland and Europe as soloist and chamber musician. He has broadcast for over 20 years on BBC Radio 3 and more than 20 radio networks worldwide, including French, Swiss and Austrian Radio, ABC (Australia) and Radio New Zealand. He is a Tutor in Piano at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Academy, the University of Southampton and Sherborne School. (Duncan Honeybourne)

Duncan Honeybourne, piano

Duncan Honeybourne
Commended by International Piano magazine for the “suave confidence” of his playing, Duncan Honeybourne enjoys a colourful and diverse career as a pianist and in music education.

His debut in 1998 as concerto soloist at Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the National Concert Hall, Dublin, was broadcast on radio and television, and he gave recital debuts in London, Dublin, Paris, and at international festivals in Belgium and Switzerland. Duncan’s debut album was described by Gramophone magazine as “a set not to be missed by all lovers of English music”, whilst BBC Music

Magazine reported: “There are gorgeous things here. Hard to imagine better performances.”

Duncan has toured extensively in the UK, Ireland and Europe as recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, appearing at many major venues and leading festivals. He has been a frequent soloist on radio networks worldwide including BBC Radio 3, Irish, French, Swiss and Finnish Radio, SABC (South Africa), ABC (Australia) and Radio New Zealand. Duncan’s many acclaimed recordings reflect his long association with 20th and 21st century British piano and chamber music, and include works dedicated to him by several celebrated composers.

Duncan Honeybourne has written widely on musical topics for journals ranging from Classical Music magazine to The Times. He is a Piano Tutor at the University of Southampton and Sherborne School and gives regular masterclasses and adjudications.

This album contains no booklet.