Reviews of 'Voices from the Sea' CD '... a name to remember...These evocative setting show that Hawkins has the now rare gift of being able to write vocal lines grateful to the voice, where leaping intervals slip naturally and movingly into the lyrical sequence - especially when sung with such intensity and variety of vocal colour as here by Martyn Hill ... a highly enticing debut CD for Hawkins.' - GRAMOPHONE May 2004 'The whole cycle is a beautifully varied, contrasted, and often moving achievement . . . magnificent . . . Hawkins’ sincere, honest and impeccably written music is clearly the work of a distinguished musician who obviously has things to say and who knows how to say them in accessible, communicative terms likely to appeal to larger audiences without ever compromising or writing down to them . . .' 'What an enterprising CD this is with a great mixture of excellent music' - THE MUSICIAN 'Excellently crafted . . . Hawkins' word setting is superb . . . The texts, written by merchant seamen . . . are strikingly direct, and are telling in Martyn Hill's sympathetic rendering and admirably clear articulation . . . this collection will give great pleasure to afficionados of 20th century British music.' - CLASSICAL NET 'All of these works, whether small or large in scale, are emotionally involving and impressively measured in their expression. Proof that he is capable of sweeping gesture on a larger scale is evident in Voices from the Sea. I have heard few contemporary song cycles that capture both beauty and austerity as vividly.' . . . a fine sense of structure and a mind and ear both confident and sensitive . . . all perfectly sung by Martyn Hill. The other pieces on the disc. . . are no less attractive. I was particularly drawn to what is superficially the most abstract, a set of eight variations on a theme for piano, whose intelligence, humour and variety made me want to have a go at playing it - surely the ultimate test for contemporary art music. This music will never conquer large, let alone mass, audiences. It is what it is . . . intelligent, heartfelt, often beautiful communication. . . . Hawkins, like other creative artists, reminds those of us who believe that cultural standards are important for society that all is not yet lost.' - ELECTRIC REVIEW September '03 '. . . very fine and communicative . . . Hawkins’s response to the literary images is distinctive. The playing, singing, and Anthony Pay’s direction all seem poised and assured. . . all the music is extremely well played, and sympathetically recorded. The resonant space of St John’s lends a welcoming ambience to the programme. The composer provides succinct notes, and this release demonstrates Meridian’s admirable and continuing commitment to British music.' – CLASSICAL SOURCE October '03 '. . . embraces a wide range of styles and idioms, from the Brittenesque Voices from the Sea, a stunning song cycle sung here live by Martyn Hill, to the eclectic Variations for solo piano. . . one of the most hauntingly memorable pieces here is Waiting: Tango for viola and double bass, a four-minute suggestion of two individuals outside on a hot night, whose paths may or may not cross. The music's underlying dance profiles are deliciously suggested by both music and players. Brief Encounters for flute and viola consists of three exuberantly inventive miniatures . . . while World's Apart for double bass and piano . . . exploits the instrument's expressive potential, particularly in its higher registers, to the full. Shadows for viola, double bass and piano continues in the introspective vein of 'Worlds Apart', against the background of a slightly macabre waltz. Yuko Inoue and Paul Silverthorne relish the more athletic and angular lines of Gestures for two violas, compared to which Quietus for violin, viola and cello has a decidedly Bartókian feel to it. The warm yet detailed recording possesses just the right degree of resonance for these engaging scores.' Biography |
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