Halfway through Advent already and I'm really enjoying the countdown to Christmas with my Classical Advent Calendar!
Each day I've been adding a new track to the Advent playlist in Spotify and it's been so tricky deciding the selection. All the tracks to me sum up Advent and Christmas and have had a real impact on me over the years.
Born in Grimsby, Patrick Hawes is an English composer who has made his mark as a torchbearer of the English musical tradition of Vaughan Williams and Delius. He first came to public recognition in 2002 with the release of his debut album Blue in Blue. This was made CD of the Week on Classic FM and Patrick consequently became the Classic FM Composer in Residence from 2006-7. In 2010 he composed the Highgrove Suite for HRH The Prince of Wales which was premiered at Highgrove House by the Philharmonia. In recent years he has worked with some of the country’s finest musicians and in 2013 signed a three-album record deal with Decca Records. The first album with them is released in March 2014. Entitled Angel it features the Choir of New College Oxford, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as well as guest soloists. Patrick is currently working on two large-scale works to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. The first is The Angel of Mons and the second is a work based on the life and death of nurse Edith Cavell.
For up to date details on Patrick’s work visit www.patrickhawes.com