RECORDINGS
2027 is the 200th anniversary of the death of the artist, poet and visionary William Blake. This new recording includes some of the pieces I have been writing over many years inspired by Blake’s art and writings. It features some of the finest instrumentalist in the UK including the London Piano Quartet (who premiered the title track ‘Blake Visions’ at the Conway Hall in London in 2025), the Piatti string quartet, violist Zahra Benyounes and cellist Jessie Ann Richardson while the song cycle ‘Portions of Eternity’ is given its first recording by celebrated soprano April Fredrick.
The pieces are:
‘Blake Visions‘ (piano quartet in three movements)
‘Urizen‘ (viola and piano)
‘Fuzon‘ (string quartet)
‘Portions of Eternity‘ (voice and piano)
‘Stranger, Lover, Dancer‘ (solo cello)
The Disc is available from Claudio Records
Featuring Steve Dummer, clarinet; Stane Street Sinfonietta (Holly Mathieson, conductor); Aidan Smith, baritone; Yoko Ono, piano and Ivana Peranic, cello.
Track 1 ‘Simplicius Simplicissimus’ for clarinet and string orchestra
Track 2 ‘The Dong with a Luminous Nose’ for clarinet and baritone voice (poem by Edward Lear)
Tracks 3-5 ‘In Touch’ (trio for clarinet, cello and piano)
Tracks 6–8 Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Tracks 9–11 Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra
This richly rewarding release presents music featuring the clarinet by John Hawkins … Performances are uniformly excellent and the recording quality is exemplary. Highly recommended.
Musical Opinion January 2020
Available from Naxos and Amazon , Presto Music as well as iTunes and Spotify for streaming
Voices from the Sea is available from Meridian Records and includes ‘Voices from the Sea’ with tenor Martyn Hill and the string orchestra Divertimenti. Also on the disc are ‘Variations’ for piano and other chamber pieces for viola, double bass, oboe and string trio.
‘What an enterprising CD this is, with a great mixture of excellent music.’
THE MUSICIAN
‘ . . . intelligent, heartfelt, often beautiful communication’
ELECTRIC REVIEW
‘ . . . a stunning song cycle’
THE STRAD
Urizen was recorded by Paul Silverthorne and John Constable on Black Box Music with pieces by many distinguished composers commissioned by Paul, including Anthony Payne, Richard Rodney Bennett, Elisabeth Lutyens, Colin Matthews, Robert Saxton and John Woolrich. The CD is currently not available, but may return!
Click here to see another performance by Paul on YouTube
‘At Two’ on ‘A Tale of Two Violas’ – Meridian CDE84652
Amazon
One work stands at something of a remove; John Hawkins’ At Two, written in 2017 to a commission from the two violists here. Taking its name from a laconic Woody Allen line – ‘I’m at two with nature’ – the two brief movements offer plentiful contrast, with an especially fast moving, even zany second movement to entertain the listener and stretch the performers.
This finely recorded programme sports well-researched notes by [Peter] Mallinson. Together he and [Mathias] Wiesner and their colleagues offer a disc both to enlighten and to entertain.
BoBop for solo violin is on Thomas Gould’s CD ‘Bach to Parker’ (2015)
‘Scythingly scintillating playing from a young virtuoso with a magpie mind’
THE TIMES
Cortège? is available on Meridian Records ‘Homage a Lorca’ together with pieces by Poulenc, Falla, Cecilia McDowell and others.
‘… works that combine beauty and nervous energy, and make me want to hear more…’
INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW
Sortie (for Trumpet and organ) has been recorded by Deborah Calland with William Whitehead, organ and is available on their CD ‘North Star’ on the Deux-Elles label together with other contemporary works.
Sea Symphony,This World, Sonata Serenata and Veiled Lightning are available on a demo CD direct from John Hawkins