Songs for Our Times Christopher Glynn, Nick Pritchard, Isabelle Haile

• Stuart MacRae (b. 1976): Kingdoms:
• 1MacRae: Kingdoms: I. Kingdoms06:39
• 2MacRae: Kingdoms: II. Life Unfiltered05:35
• 3MacRae: Kingdoms: III. Tethered Ships05:30
• 4MacRae: Kingdoms: IV. Primordial Cry04:48
• Bernard Hughes (b. 1974): Metropolis:
• 5Hughes: Metropolis: I. The Shepherds03:30
• 6Hughes: Metropolis: II. Metropolis04:20
• 7Hughes: Metropolis: III. Call Home02:39
• 8Hughes: Metropolis: IV. When Apart03:33
• 9Hughes: Metropolis: V. A Bedtime Tale04:32
• 10Hughes: Metropolis: VI. The River's Course03:25
• Total Runtime44:31

Info for Songs for Our Times

In these two premiere recordings Kingdoms and Metropolis, the stories will be familiar to many with their universal subjects, including the need for wisdom within the halls of power; transcendent love; an immigrant’s homesickness; the search for inner peace; all flow through the album evoking the spirit of our day and age. Despite our current turmoil, the overall tone of the album is a hopeful one, making it a welcome balm during our turbulent times.

Nigerian-American lyricist Chinwe D. John strongly feels that in order to keep classical music thriving and to bring in a new audience, the work of present day composers needs to be supported. Commissioning contemporary day composers, to set music to lyrics directly reflective of our current times, is one way of accomplishing this. It was John who went in search of composers who would share her vision and passion for creating works which could be appreciated and enjoyed, works which would connect an audience and perhaps even take on a cultural significance.

It is the combined vision of John’s settings and the subsequent compositions by Bernard Hughes and Stuart MacRae which is so effectively brought to life in this recording by the musicians. Tenor Nick Pritchard, soprano Isabelle Haile and pianist Christopher Glynn give wonderful, intimate performances which further connect the listener to the stories presented in Chinwe D. John’s lyrics.

The production of Songs for Our Times is a testament to collaboration and cooperation, practically reflecting the intent of the artists’ work.

Isabelle Haile, soprano
Nick Pritchard, tenor
Christopher Glynn, piano

Isabelle Haile
is an award-winning Ethiopian-Romanian soprano, who has received her vocal training in Moldova, Italy, and the United Kingdom. She has sung in both operatic and solo recital roles internationally. She was awarded the Provincia di Roma Special Prize for her rendition of Monteverdi’s ‘Jubilet tota civitas’ in the Final of the International Sacred Music Competition 2014 in Rome. In 2020, she completed a Masters with Distinction, in Vocal Performance, from the Royal Academy of Music. Recent opera performances include roles in George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence, and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.

Nick Pritchard
is an award winning versatile tenor, who features frequently with noted ensembles such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, and L’Orchestre de Chambre de Paris. His recording of Bach’s St John Passion under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, was nominated in the 2023 Grammy awards for Best Choral performance. A recent review in The Guardian stated, ‘Singing from memory, Nick Pritchard’s Evangelist, in the finest account of the role I’ve heard live, drew us through the narrative with extraordinary vividness…’ Another review in The Telegraph from his role in opera Alcina, states ‘Tenor Nick Pritchard (…) stops hearts and time with a ravishing Un momento di contento.’

Christopher Glynn
is a Grammy award winning classical pianist, and much sought after accompanist, working with most of the world’s renowned classical music artists, on an international scale. Reviewers have cited his ‘breathtaking sensitivity’ Gramophone, ‘irrepressible energy, wit and finesse’ The Guardian and ‘revelatory performances’ BBC Music Magazine. He is the artistic director of the Ryedale Festival in North Yorkshire, having taking up the mantle in 2010. Under his leadership, the festival features up to sixty programmes a year. Some of his most recent album recordings include Beethoven: Sonatas for violin and piano… with Rachel Podger and Schubert: The Fair Maid of the Mill with tenor Nicky Spence.

Booklet for Songs for Our Times