Circle release first recorded album with guest artist James Bowman

Circle Singers are excited to be releasing their first album, ‘Songs from the heart’, on Friday 25th September. ‘Folk-choral’ in nature but with a unique touch of jazz and full, expressive voices, this is emotionally warm music, accessible to all.  The album reaches into early music but draws heavily on a contemporary folk and choral lexicon, showcasing both new songs and remade classics. It bursts with colour and variety; the tracks span the British Isles and Scandinavia and offer something for every mood and season, moving from lilting, summery folk to a warm, ‘tub-thumping’ Christmas glow.  New to your ears will be a reworking of William Cornish’s ‘Ah, Robin’, featuring Trish Elphinstone’s saxophone duetting with internationally-acclaimed countertenor James Bowman CBE’s lead vocal, and a newly-translated version of 14th Century Swedish carol ‘The Star is Shining’ which was originally arranged by Gunnar Idenstam. Other Scandinavian stand-outs include a shimmering rendition of Ola Gjeilo’s ‘Northern Lights’.  In terms of tracks stemming from closer to home, there’s soprano Livy Watson’s ethereal version of Irish folk song ‘She Moved Through the Fair’, beautifully complemented by saxophone and nyckelharpor, and a new song, ‘Islay’, whose lullaby vocals are movingly sung by mezzo Rachel Bayley. There are many other surprising gems for you to discover.  The album was recorded by Circle just before and after lockdown at Tad Studios, Bicester, with the assistance of sound engineer Umair Chaudhry. Circle are an Oxford-based group bringing together choral scholars from New College and Queens College Oxford with three talented sopranos. Their warm, resonant vocals are enhanced by guest instrumentals which include not only keyboards but also the saxophone, bassoon, cor anglais, crumhorn, and nyckelharpa. Circle was formed by Ashley Goodall, formerly an ‘A & R man’ at EMI and Polygram/MCin order to enjoy the best of song and vocal sounds. ‘Songs from the heart’ is a personal and heartfelt journey that we hope you too will enjoy.  Hear a little: of each track here https://circle.hearnow.com/   Circle are: Harriet van der Vliet (HV): Soprano Livy Watson (LW): Soprano Rachel Bayley (RB): Mezzo Henry Taylor (HT): Alto Ashley Goodall (AG): Tenor Charles Day (CD): Bass Duncan Sanderson (DS): Bass James Bowman (JB): Counter tenor (guest artist)   Instruments: Trish Elphinstone (TE): Saxophone Miranda Ellis (ME): Nyckelharpa Edwin Pritchard (EP): Nyckelharpa and hardanger fiddle Duncan Sanderson (DS): Crumhorn Harriet van der Vliet (HV): Bassoon Charles Day (CD): Cor anglais Ashley Goodall (AG): Percussion James Potter (JP) and Ashley Goodall (AG): Keyboards Greg Skidmore (GS) and James Potter (JP): Additional vocals Engineer: Umair Chaudhry Recorded at Tad Studios, March–August 2020   Circle Music: A new label dedicated to great songs and great voices, doing things a bit differently. Based in Oxford and founded by Ashley Goodall. The Circle Singers and their guests work in fields ranging from quantum engineering, editing for Oxford University Press, and music teaching, to headhunting and political development.  Ashley Goodall began his musical career as Head Chorister at New College, Oxford and later became an A & R Executive at EMI, Phonogram, and MCA records. Notable signings include Iron Maiden, Talk Talk, Curiosity Killed the Cat, and Live Aid artists, and the first Comic Relief record with Cliff Richard and The Young Ones. Ashley originally worked with Boy George and Guy Chambers, among many others. Ashley later moved out of music, becoming Head of Marketing at Fitch and MD at Saatchi & Saatchi Design, and he is currently working as an independent communications consultant. His claims to fame include meeting J. R. R. Tolkien during a New College School musical production of The Hobbit in 1967. This album represents a reunion between Ashley and James Bowman: they last sang together on the New College Choir album ‘To us a child’ in 1968.  Contact: circle@circlemusic.co.uk 07788565730 Circlemusic.co.uk  Facebook: facebook.com/circlemusic.co.uk/ Twitter: @circle_music1   Music available via all digital distribution platforms from 25th September: You can sign up for all these through this link https://circle.hearnow.com/ Spotify iTunes Google Play Deezer JIO Savaan.   Julie Fowlis ‘ ‘The Songs are beautiful, the arrangement is really lovely, and I love the space in the arrangement of ‘ She moved ‘’.   Stuart Barr (Conductor) Am loving ’Songs from the Heart. Infusing early and folk music with plaintive Saxophone etc, is quite aurally stunning in ‘She Moved’   Charles Nove ( Scala Radio ) A great range of repertoire and a beautiful illustration

‘Emotionally warm music, accessible to all’