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CD available £4.99 (free postage)

 

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REVIEWS

Carla Rees for MusicWeb-International

Eileen Yarrison for The Greater Boston Flute Association

Jim Langaber for Flute Focus

 

Having played with The Michael Nyman Band since the early 1980’s, I approached Michael at the beginning of 2008 about the possibility of creating a new work for unaccompanied flute. I’ve already arranged and recorded three of his pieces on my solo multi-tracked albums but since acquiring my new gold Pearl flute at the end of 2007, I was looking for something to show what it (& I) were capable of. In 1993 Michael wrote “Yamamoto Perpetuo” for solo violin (Alexander Balanescu recorded it on Consipio Records). It was commissioned by Yohji Yamamoto for hisfashion show that year in Paris and later turned into String Quartet No.4. My task was to turn it back into a solo performance and create a major new work for the solo flute repertoire. I worked from the quartet score, rather than the violin solo, as it had developed into a chamber piece, with more material to use. There were 12 movements in all, most containing virtuosic string writing. I realised that for what was to be over half an hour of solo flute there had to be enough varied and contrasting sounds to maintain interest for listeners, particularly those who may not be familiar with the “Nyman” style. My “chair” in the band is baritone sax doubling flute & piccolo, a multiple role, sometimes driving the bass line, along with bass trombone and bass guitar, as well as playing lines with the high strings when I change to the flutes and being a part of the 3 piece sax section. I decided to apply techniques from all of these disciplines to this project. I was also determined that this should be a performable piece, rather than a book of virtuosic studies. Stamina and breathing issues were a major concern.I have varied the order of the 11 movements from the original with this in mind.

 

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NEW RELEASE! MP3 track

Michael Nyman's "Chasing Sheep Is Best Left To Shepherds"

multitrack recording on baritone saxes, flutes & piccolos

 

  

 

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CD available £9.99 (free postage)

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When The Boat Comes In sees Andy follow on from “Tracked” with an even wider display of arrangements to highlight his instrumental virtuosity. The title track is a full version of the “Young’s” “Sea To Plate” TV jingle, which he recorded for the advert. A closer collaboration with Simon Haram has led to an adventurous collection of tracks along with the welcome addition of Dave Lee’s Horns & Wagner Tubas on a new composition by Marc Findon, "Black Lights".

READ THE REVIEWS

1) When The Boat Comes In - Young’s “From Sea To Plate” TV Advert - traditional  
arranged & produced : Garry Bell
engineer: Tom Jenkins
Andy Findon: penny whistle, piccolo, flute, contrabass flute, soprano sax
Publisher: Jeff Wayne Music Group Ltd.

2) Molly On The Shore - Percy Grainger
arranged: Andy Findon
Andy Findon: penny whistle, flute, soprano sax, alto sax, baritone sax
Publisher: Chesters Music Ltd.

3) Prospero’s Curse  - from the film “Prospero’s Books” -  Michael Nyman
arranged: Andy Findon
Andy Findon: piccolo, flute, alto flute, bass flute, bamboo flute, membrane flute, pan-pipes, bass clarinet, baritone sax

4) Ave Maria - Gounod/Bach
arranged: Andy Findon & Simon Haram
Andy Findon: pan-pipes, flute, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass flute, bass clarinet

5) The Belgian Detective - Theme from “Poirot” - Christopher Gunning
arranged: Christopher Gunning
Andy Findon: saxophone quartet (s,a,t,b)
Published by Orchard Music Ltd & Standard Music Ltd.

6) We Were Soldiers - Nick Glennie-Smith
arranged: Andy Findon
Andy Findon: membrane flute, bamboo flute, flute, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass flute
Publisher: SonyIcon Publishing inc.

7) Spem In Alium - motet in 40 parts - Thomas Tallis
arranged: Andy Findon
Andy Findon: flute, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass flute

8) Duelling Bamboos - Arthur Smith
arranged: Andy Findon & Simon Haram
Andy Findon: bamboo flute, membrane flute, flute, contrabass flute, tambourine

9) String Quartet (1 st Movt.) - Claude Debussy
arranged: Andy Findon
Andy Findon: flute, alto flute bass flute, contrabass flute

10) Sabre Dance - Aram Khachaturian
arranged: Andy Findon & Simon Haram
Andy Findon: flute, piccolo, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone saxes

11) Adagietto: Symphony No. 5 - Gustav Mahler
arranged: Andy Findon & Simon Haram
Andy Findon: flute, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass flute

12) Black Lights - Marc Findon
Dave Lee : 4 French Horns & 4 Wagner Tubas
Andy Findon : 2 Piccolos & 2 Soprano Saxophones

13) Syrinx - Claude Debussy
Andy Findon: flute

14) Stairway To Heaven - Jimmy Page & Robert Plant
arranged: Marc Findon
Andy Findon: piccolo, flute, pan-pipes, ocarina, recorder, clarinet, soprano, alto, tenor, baritones saxes
Simon Haram: tambourine
Publisher: Warner Chappell Music Ltd.