Winner of the BBC Music Magazine 2025 Premiere Award
Following a devastating cancer diagnosis in September 2022, Adrian Sutton, composer of the music for War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and other National Theatre productions, made a conscious decision to change his focus, committing himself to working solely on music for the concert hall. This has led to a series of major new works, including his Violin Concerto which received its world première at the Southbank Centre in June 2023, played by Fenella Humphreys and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Adrian commented: ‘We all have limited time – and resources. How to make best use of them? In my situation, there’s only one answer: avoid egregious waste of both time and energy ruminating on things I can’t change. Instead, I can choose how I react to the facts – and I’m choosing not to be a victim.’
"… Humphreys, Seal and the BBC Philharmonic have its [Violin Concerto] linguistic number. Humphreys brings her endlessly unfurling violin lines taut, silvery weightlessness. The recording beautifully captures her duets with woodwind, and a tremendous dynamic range…”
A unique programme of unaccompanied violin works, celebrating Fenella's love of working with living composers composers. New works written for Fenella by British composers Michael Small, Sarah Frances Jenkins, Cameron Biles-Liddell, Sarah Lianne Lewis and Bethan Morgan-Williams are placed alongside works by iconic compoosers Caroline Shaw, Jessie Montgomery, George Walker, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Also included are new arrangements for solo violin by Fenella of works by J.S. Bach, Satie, Schumann and Debussy.
"There’s simply no hiding place with solo violin repertoire. Every vulnerability is exposed to scrutiny, and so much the more when the repertoire itself is largely unfamiliar. Fenella Humphreys is masterful, however, bringing playing of constant allure and vitality to this album… This is a hugely accomplished release, fearlessly and vibrantly performed" BBC Music Magazine
Winner of the BBC Music Magazine 2023 Premiere Award
A fascinating and eclectic collection of caprices ranging from Paganini to a wide selection of contemporary composers, some of whom contribute not only individual works, but who joined together for a splendid composite set of variations on Paganini’s famous 24th caprice. This is a personal, daring and exciting album of dazzling virtuosity!
Released March 2022 on Rubicon Classics.
Works by Tom Coult, Niccolò Paganini, Grażyna Bacewicz, Freya Waley-Cohen, Oliver Leith, Fritz Kreisler, Roxanna Panufnik, Laurence Osborn, Mark O'Connor, Andra Patterson, Laura Reid, Emily Howard, Sally Beamish, Stuart MacRae, Adrian Sutton, Alexandra Harwood, Piers Hellawell, James Joslin, Robin Haigh, Héloïse Werner, Seonaid Aitken and Errollyn Wallen.
“Really, very impressive.” - Gramophone Magazine
“This is a seriously entertaining disc….Humphreys is technically and musically superb” - The Strad Magazine
