In 2014, to celebrate the 80th Birthday of its Patron, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Manchester’s premier new music ensemble Psappha released a limited edition recording of Eight Songs for a Mad King on vinyl. The recording was made in 2012 and was supervised by the composer, making this the first recording of the work to have had the direct involvement of 'Max' since the 1971 recording by his own ensemble, The Fires of London. Psappha performed Eight Songs for a Mad King more than 70 times and worked closely with the composer to fine-tune the performance of one of his most iconic works to be as close as possible to what he intended.

Originally premiered in 1969, this monodrama was composed by Maxwell Davies to a libretto by Randolph Stow based on writings by King George III of Britain, and is scored for solo baritone (Kelvin Thomas) and small ensemble. Based on melodies supposedly churned out by the King on his mechanical organ as he taught his pet bullfinches to sing, it is an intense theatrical depiction of descent into delirium.

After the initial limited vinyl release of only 500 copies, Eight Songs for a Mad King is being reissued as part of Psappha's new partnership with the label NMC Recordings, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the ensemble. The reissue will be repressed on vinyl, and will also be available for digital download.

Psappha is the North West’s only stand-alone professional contemporary classical music ensemble. Founded in 1991 by Artistic Director Tim Williams, the group is dedicated to commissioning, performing and promoting new music – particularly by living composers and emerging musicians.

Throughout its 30-year career, Psappha has commissioned and premiered music by more than 500 composers, and has performed across the UK and worldwide on five continents. In the process, it has worked with the likes of Aldeburgh Music, the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC Proms, BBC Radio 3, Glyndebourne Festival, Guggenheim New York, the New York Philharmonic and Princeton University in the USA; and Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Jerusalem Festival and Muziektheater Transparant worldwide.

Psappha supports composers at all stages of their careers, inviting them to work with its core musicians to create, develop and present new work. Through its pioneering ‘Composing For…’ scheme, which launched in 2014, the group has worked directly with more than 140 emerging composers on brand new compositions. All these works are premiered via highquality films on the group’s extensive YouTube channel, which contains more than 230 free-to-view films of live performances and has received more than 120,000 views in the last 12 months alone. The group also launched its own record label in 2004, and its catalogue of recordings is set for re-release in 2021 through its new relationship with NMC Recordings.

Psappha:
- Kelvin Thomas (baritone)
- Conrad Marshall (flute)
- Dov Goldberg (clarinet)
- Richard Casey (piano)
- Tim Williams (percussion)
- Bennedict Holland (violin)
- Jennifer Langridge (cello)