Peter Maxwell Davies's Sea Eagle for solo horn was written for Richard Watkins, the horn player on this album, after Davies asked him about a 'study' he had written.
Composition History
David Matthews dedicated his Quintet for horn and string quartet to the memory of his friend and mentor Nicholas Maw, who had intended to write a horn quintet for the Nash Ensemble but passed away before doing so.
Composition History
Colin Matthews's Three of a Kind for horn, cello, and piano was inspired by a review that misidentified Richard Watkins and Huw Watkins as brothers, leading him to include Huw's real brother, Paul Watkins, to form a 'Watkins Trio'.
Composition History
Mark-Anthony Turnage's 'Prayer for a great man' for cello and horn is based on a piece he wrote for the funeral of his father-in-law, Neil Swallow, a pioneer of dentistry for children and the disabled.
Performer Biography
Richard Watkins, the horn player on this album, was Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra for twelve years and is a member of the Nash Ensemble and London Winds.
Performer Biography
Richard Watkins holds the Dennis Brain Chair of Horn Playing at the Royal Academy of Music, where he is also a Fellow.
Cultural Impact
Peter Maxwell Davies's Sea Eagle, initially considered impossible by many, is now a contemporary set-piece for the prestigious Munich Horn Competition.
