In addition to his distinguished career as a pianist and conductor, Howard Blake is a popular and prolific composer who has received an OBE for services to music. Besides film scores (which include the extraordinarily successful and popular The Snowman), choral, orchestral and instrumental works, ballets and opera, his output includes much chamber music.

This programme brings première string quartet recordings of the award-winning music for A Month in the Country and the famous Walking in the Air theme from The Snowman. New discoveries emerge in the sensual and atmospheric ballet Leda and the Swan, and a specially revised String Trio.

One of Britain’s foremost and senior ensembles, the Edinburgh Quartet celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with the commission of Blake’s dramatic Spieltrieb.

Edinburgh Quartet:
- Tristan Gurney (violin I)
- Philip Burrin (violin II)
- Michael Beeston (viola)
- Mark Bailey (cello)