“I set myself the challenge of writing a book of 24 preludes and fugues in all the major and minor keys and I approached family, friends, and several institutions I had been associated with, to commission a prelude and fugue each, with many of the resultant commissioners asking for references to pieces of music that had a special meaning for them, a request that tried to follow through wherever possible. Within a very short space of time, I realised just what a task I had set myself. The project took me 8 years to complete, and it was not until 2019 that I finally put the finishing touches to the concluding B minor Fugue.

“The score was published on my birthday in June 2020 and I received an unex pected email fro m Nathan Williamson, saying that he would love to learn the music, and, because of the restrictions imposed by the covid lockdowns, it might be a good time to see if a complete recording might be contemplated. To our considerable delight, Lyrita Recorded Edition agreed to take on the project that has led to the release of the present boxed set.

“Very early in the planning process I had decided that the set would be divided into 4 books (each made up of 6 preludes and fugues) based around one of the notes of the name BACH (B flat, A, C and B natural in German notation), and starting and ending in the major or the minor tonality of the 4 keys. In addition I wanted to reference the cryptogram of Dmitri Shostakovich (DSCH – D, E flat, C and B), whose own masterly set of 24 Preludes and Fugues also casts its influence across my set.”

Nathan Williamson’s career combines a range of creative and innovative pianistic, compositional and collaborative projects, working alongside many leading artists and institutions across the UK and internationally. Recent highlights include 100 Years of British Song, a long-term collaboration on British song repertoire with tenor James Gilchrist culminating in three highly praised CDs for SOMM Recordings, the complete Beethoven Concertos with the Prometheus Orchestra, premiere performances of Sonatas and Nocturnes by Malcolm Lipkin, including on CD for Lyrita, and international tours with the renowned new music ensemble Piano Circus.

In 2008 Nathan founded the Southwold Concert Series, and later the Southwold Music Trust, seeking to make music central to his hometown of Southwold, on the Suffolk coast. The Trust partners with local schools, festivals and organisations to present live performances, education projects and inclusive musicmaking activities for all ages and abilities.