In the middle of an ongoing pandemic, many bassoonists are creating incredible music and looking to raise hope for a brighter future ahead.
The renown British bassoonist Laurence Perkins recently reimagined the folk melody Blow the Wind Southerly as a positive, uplifting musical message of hope and optimism as we approach a new year. This well-known English seafaring folk melody is originally from Northumberland in northeast England.
Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland
The sea is a source of inspiration for so many people. Laurence created a special soundscape of the winds and sea-birds, taken from his own location recordings made on the Northumbrian coast in England.
The arrangement is Laurence's own, which he describes as a wash of harmonies, creating an evocative musical watercolor with a calm and misty quality that blends in perfectly with the melody and the sounds of the sea.
Northumberland Coast
One concern Laurence has been thinking about quite a bit during Covid is the serious threat to music education in the UK, a situation that has been made much worse by the pandemic. It has been a disastrous year for amateur musicians, especially for wind and brass players.
Each download of the mp3 'Blow the Wind Southerly' will support Laurence's work in helping young players and amateur music-making. If you are interested in learning more, please make sure to check out his website for more information.
This single was just released on November 30, 2020. To listen to a sample or purchase, please visit: https://laurenceperkins.com/recordings/
Laurence Perkins is one of Britain’s best known solo bassoonists through his concert performances and numerous solo recordings on CD over the years. He was Principal Bassoon for the Manchester Camerata for 43 years, performing in concerts throughout the UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Norway, the Azores Islands, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, and Japan. He’s been featured in BBC Music Magazine, BBC Radio and the UK Specialist Classical Charts. He has been a soloist for the Hyperion record label over the years, and is currently producing independent recordings of a wide range of repertoire and performing live concert performances in the post-pandemic era as a part of Live Wood Music (LWM). His first LWM production is a limited-edition CD (an 'EP' - 30 minutes duration) featuring Laurence's new single 'Blow the Wind Southerly'.
For more information about Laurence, please make sure to check out his profile page. If you're interested in learning about all the different projects he's working on, please visit his website for more information.