Prima Facie Records

A Land So Luminous - Music by Richard Causton and Kenneth Hesketh (PFCD051)

A world première recording of music by Kenneth Hesketh and Richard Causton.

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"... radiant harmonic colour and pithy, abstract narrative... powerfully sombre...taut beauty" Fiona Maddocks, The Observer (****)

"... a dynamic programme well executed" (Adam Fergler)

"Kenneth Hesketh and Richard Causton are amongst the foremost British composers of their generations, and ‘A Land So Luminous’ showcases their distinct compositional voices and musical craftsmanship" (The Cross-Eyed Pianist)

"We must thank Prima Facie for this most rewarding and enjoyable release. The performances are first class and the recordings... are excellent." (The Classical Reviewer)

'A Land So Luminous' showcases the exceptional talent of these two British composers, and is performed by the conductor Philip Headlam with The Continuum Ensemble and an outstanding array of soloists.

“Kenneth Hesketh composes music of delicate luminosity” - Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian
"Causton is among our most imaginative composers” - Paul Driver, The Sunday Times

Kenneth Hesketh (b. 1968) and Richard Causton (b. 1971) are among the foremost U.K. composers of their generation. 'A Land So Luminous' features their works for large ensemble, duo and trio as well as solo flute, cello and piano. A strikingly diverse and atmospheric collection, the music draws imaginative inspiration from a rich range of sources including Heinrich Hoffman’s nineteenth-century cautionary tales for children, 'Shock-Headed Peter', a poem by Marina Tsvetayeva, shamanic ritual and Fats Waller, as well as Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, K. 622.

Conductor Philip Headlam, long-time champion of these composers, sees 'A Land So Luminous' as an opportunity for Hesketh and Causton to gain recognition from audiences across the U.K. and beyond, and illustrate their outstanding creativity and craftsmanship.

Containing music never previously recorded, the acclaimed Continuum Ensemble is joined by a stellar line-up soloists: violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen (‘fearless intensity’ - The Guardian), soprano Mary Bevan (‘bewitching’ - The Independent), flautist Lisa Nelsen (‘a flautist and a half’ - The Times), cellist Joseph Spooner (‘tremendous musicianship’ - Fanfare) and Douglas Finch (‘a true virtuoso’ – The Independent).

Richard Causton studied at the University of York, the Royal College of Music and the Scuola Civica in Milan. He has worked with ensembles such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, London Sinfonietta, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Britten Sinfonia and the Nash Ensemble.

Kenneth Hesketh has been described as “one of the UK's most vibrant voices, having a brand of modernism that reveals true love for sound itself” (International Piano) and as "a composer who both has something to say and the means to say it” (Tempo magazine). Hesketh has received numerous national and international commissions and has worked with leading ensembles and orchestras in the USA, Far East and Europe. He is a professor of composition and orchestration at the Royal College of Music, honorary professor at Liverpool University and active as a guest lecturer.