"CLASSICAL GUITAR'S NEW CHAMPION"
This Changing Sky
"Classical guitar's new champion" - Strings, Classical Music Magazine
Described by Classical Guitar Magazine as ‘linking guitar’s past, present and future’, internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer Laura Snowden presents a debut album with authentic storytelling at its heart.
This Changing Sky reaches for creative expression beyond the guitar through Laura’s singing, spoken voice and unique vocalisations, as well as collaborations with Loz Garratt (bassist for jazz singer Jamie Cullum), violinist Joo Yeon Sir, and saxophonist Amy Green. The listener is taken from the unsettling, disorienting opening of The Dragon’s Lair into an emotionally intense journey which navigates longing, kindness, searching and transition, ultimately ending with a sense of hope and deep tenderness.
The album was recorded by John Taylor in Wathen Hall, Barnes, with funding from Help Musicians and the Golsoncott Foundation.
"A poignant, mesmerising show...
held the Wigmore Hall rapt" - The Guardian
Laura’s eclectic output has ranged from playing on Lorne Balfe’s soundtrack for the Marvel film Black Widow to performing Lisa Streich’s guitar concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
As a composer, Laura’s music has been published by Hal Leonard and ABRSM, broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and commissioned by Birmingham Symphony Hall, Rockschool syllabus, International Guitar Foundation and New York Guitar Festival. She arranged and recorded guitar parts on Noah and the Whale frontman Charlie Fink’s solo album and was invited by guitarist John Williams to play with her folk group Tir Eolas at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Laura studied with Julian Bream, during which time she gave two concerts at Wigmore Hall featuring premieres of his recent commissions. This led to international recognition and festival debuts across Europe and the US, as well as concerto debuts with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Münchener Kammerorchester.
One of Acoustic Guitar Magazine's '10 Rising Stars of Classical Guitar'
Album Tracklist
All are original compositions unless otherwise stated
01. The Dragon’s Lair (with Loz Garratt)
02. Carrickfergus – trad arr. Laura Snowden
03. Home
04. The Trap (with Loz Garratt)
05. Love, Eternal (with Joo Yeon Sir)
06. This Changing Sky
07. Song for Maria
08. The Unknown
09. The Puppet Master (with Loz Garratt)
10. Picking up the Pieces (with Amy Green)
11. The Parting Glass - trad arr. Laura Snowden
12. Outro