Huw Watkins: Symphonie Nr.2

This album is a tribute to the close musical collaboration between composer Huw Watkins, conductor Sir Mark Elder and the Halle Orchestra - and the extraordinary impact that the Covid pandemic has had on British cultural life. Sir Mark and the Halle Orchestra commissioned the works on this album and premiered them between 2020 and 2025. Huw Watkins composed them specially for the sound of the Halle Orchestra. Symphony No. 2 and the "Fanfare for the Halle" were written during the pandemic. The symphony was composed during the Covid lockdown, which according to Watkins influenced the character of the work, with the determination that it had to end on a positive note. It is uplifting music composed in the symphonic tradition and reveals a skilful use of instrumentation. The "Fanfare for the Halle" was written on commission from the Halle Orchestra to celebrate the return of the orchestra to the concert stage after the first Covid lockdown. The Concerto for Orchestra especially reflects the qualities of the Halle orchestra and its musicians and their long-standing relationship with their longtime conductor Elder. Huw Watkins is highly regarded as a pianist and composer. He has written a number of concertos for renowned soloists alongside a wealth of chamber music works and is known for his sensitive vocal compositions.