LATEST NEWSFLASH: As ‘Composer in Residence’ of the Global Warrior Project, Helen’s Music is being featured at an event at the Old Ship Club in London EC4R 3TB on November 30th, when Jim McNeill will be interviewing legendary yachtswoman Tracy Edwards.There are a few tickets left and are available on this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yachtswoman-tracy-edwards-mbe-interviewed-on-stage-by-explorer-jim-mcneill-tickets-661878455277
Following Helen and John Lenehan’s much acclaimed album ‘Found in Dreams’ which was chosen as Discovery of the Week by John Brunning on ClassicFM and Album of the Weekend by Scala Radio, Helen’s fifth album of Finzi and Brahms was released by Divine Art Records on May 13th 2022. We are delighted that it was selected as Album of the Week on NPO Radio 4 and featured as a new release on various Apple Music playlists. Scala Radio also chose tracks from the album for their ‘Very Best Dinner Party’ playlist.
Gramophone Magazine Review: The thought of pairing Brahms and Finzi hadn’t occurred to me before but it makes perfect sense, particularly with the clarinet music. Did Finzi have Brahms in mind when composing the second of his Five Bagatelles? Certainly the title Romanza is Brahmsian enough, as are those lovely triplets in the clarinet part, and the way Helen Habershon draws them out so tenderly has me thoroughly convinced.
She plays all the Bagatelles marvellously, in fact. I love how innocently she begins the first one, as if it’s a warm-up scale, and then the poco meno mosso at 1'14" brings to mind Elgar’s phrase ‘play it like something you hear down by the river’, for it seems to come from a pure, pastoral source. The Forlana is delicately done, too, with a gentle swing, and the Fughetta seems to smile, with both Habershon and pianist John Lenehan using articulation to keep the textures light.
In Found in Dreams, Helen has once again collaborated with John Lenehan and they offer a wonderfully diverse collection of repertoire. This includes beautiful arrangements of some of their favourite pieces, a couple of short movements of outstanding clarinet repertoire by Brahms and Finzi and some delightful new compositions of their own. As well as his beautifully crafted arrangements, John has also written two lovely pieces to add to Helen’s.
Review from London Light Music: http://www.turnipnet.com/llmmg//reviews/foundindreams.htm
As ‘Composer in Residence’ for the Ice Warrior Project, here’s a fun message to Helen from the Ice Warrior himself in the Arctic, Jim McNeill on the release of Found in Dreams!