Roxanna Panufnik: Celestial Bird

One of the UK’s most lauded composers, Roxanna Panufnik celebrates her 50th birthday with a new release of her previously unrecorded choral music, performed by leading British choir Ex Cathedra under Jeffrey Skidmore. Known for her interest in world music, the programme includes performances from Indian arts organisation Milapfest on Unending Love, as well as a recording of Child of Heaven: Dawn Chorus III – a new commission from Ex Cathedra that sets a Hymn to Dawn from the Rig Veda.

Roxanna has written a wide range of pieces, which are regularly performed all over the world, including opera, ballet, music theatre, choral works, chamber compositions and music for film and television. This album follows the 2017 release of 99 Words (SIGCD519), combining works by Panufnik and Sir John Tavener.

Milapfest is an international arts organisation based in England that specialises in the promotion and advancement of Indian arts through performances, education and artist development. Their work is designed to inspire, educate and entertain people of all backgrounds and is delivered across the UK and internationally through a world-class, year-round programme of productions and projects whilst supporting the development of new audiences, students and artists.

One of the most important strands of Milapfest’s work is their ensembles—a training and performance programme for the best young musicians and singers in the country, trained in Indian classical music. They consist of SAMYO, the National Youth Orchestra for Indian Music, SABRANG, the National Youth Choir for Indian Music, and the groundbreaking Contemporary-Classical collective, TARANG. Members regularly collaborate with orchestras and ensembles of different genres, and met Roxanna Panufnik during a project with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain in 2016. Members of the three ensembles collaborate with one of their tutors, world-renowned composer and musician, Jyotsna Srikanth, on the track Unending love.