Daniel Hope Described at one time in his publicity materials as "the British violinist," as if he were the only one, Daniel Hope is at least the most versatile British violinist of the early 21st century. An advocate of contemporary music, he has also performed Beethoven and Schumann with the period-instrument ensemble Concerto Köln, recorded music inspired by Indian classical composer/performer Ravi Shankar, partnered with actor Klaus Maria Brandauer in conceptual projects involving music and the spoken word, and recorded a pair of successful albums that use the familiar music of Antonio Vivaldi as a starting point for further creative activity.

Chicago was one of the most successful bands of the rock era, racking up 21 Billboard Top Ten hits between 1970 and 1990, a period where they survived the departure of key band members while also subtly adapting to changing times. That's not an easy task for any rock band and it's especially difficult for a group like Chicago, a band that placed equal (if not greater) emphasis on horns as guitar. Picking up where Blood, Sweat & Tears left off, Chicago initially specialized in jazz-inflected prog-rock, using the sides of a vinyl record as canvasses for sprawling, adventurous rock. Chicago quickly learned how to channel this expansive sound into concise pop songs, scoring hits in the early 1970s with such punchy tunes as "25 or 6 to 4" and "Beginnings," while also showing facility with sweeter melodies on "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Saturday in the Park." As the decade progressed, the band began to emphasize their softer side with bassist Peter Cetera singing such mellow standards as "If You Leave Me Now," "Baby, What a Big Surprise" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." The band stayed in this lane after Cetera's departure in the mid-1980s, not missing a beat with new lead vocalist BIll Champlin; he sang the number one hit "Look Away," as well as "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "Look Away." Hits dried up in the 1990s but Chicago remained a pop/rock institution, with original members keyboardist Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane and trombonist James Pankow leading a rotating cast of supporting members through regular tours and albums.

Chicago was one of the most successful bands of the rock era, racking up 21 Billboard Top Ten hits between 1970 and 1990, a period where they survived the departure of key band members while also subtly adapting to changing times. That's not an easy task for any rock band and it's especially difficult for a group like Chicago, a band that placed equal (if not greater) emphasis on horns as guitar. Picking up where Blood, Sweat & Tears left off, Chicago initially specialized in jazz-inflected prog-rock, using the sides of a vinyl record as canvasses for sprawling, adventurous rock. Chicago quickly learned how to channel this expansive sound into concise pop songs, scoring hits in the early 1970s with such punchy tunes as "25 or 6 to 4" and "Beginnings," while also showing facility with sweeter melodies on "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Saturday in the Park." As the decade progressed, the band began to emphasize their softer side with bassist Peter Cetera singing such mellow standards as "If You Leave Me Now," "Baby, What a Big Surprise" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." The band stayed in this lane after Cetera's departure in the mid-1980s, not missing a beat with new lead vocalist BIll Champlin; he sang the number one hit "Look Away," as well as "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "Look Away." Hits dried up in the 1990s but Chicago remained a pop/rock institution, with original members keyboardist Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane and trombonist James Pankow leading a rotating cast of supporting members through regular tours and albums.

Ophélie Gaillard An insatiable curiosity, a taste for risk, an immoderate appetite for the whole of the concerted cello repertoire, complete disregard of limits and petty quarrels: those are no doubt the features that have always set this brilliant Franco-Swiss musician apart. Her passion? Working from the sources, inquiring into the text, using her virtuosity to bring out the musical discourse and make the music loved by all.

The distinguished Japanese composer, Toshio Hosokawa, has been honoured with numerous awards as well as a steady stream of commissions and acclaimed performances. As with many of Hosokawa’s concertos, Ceremony sees the flute soloist as a ‘person’ and the orchestra as the ‘universe and nature’ – the flautist’s breath echoing like the winds of nature and becoming a song that awakens the spirits. A complimentary work to Hosokawa’s The Raven (Naxos 8.573724), Futari Shizuka – The Maiden from the Sea is a single-act opera, the ancient tragic tale of which resonates with the fate of refugees around the world today.

Johann Sebastian Bach took the opportunity to enhance the previously mediocre inventory of string instruments in Leipzig's two main churches in 1729 by purchasing four violins, two violas and two cellos from the workshop of Johann Christian Hoffmann (Leipzig 1683-1750). Three of these eight instruments, two violins and a viola, are still owned by the Thomaskirche. They could only be admired in a display case for decades, but here they can be heard in a recording for the first time. The Art of Fugue is framed by Bach's first and last Leipzig chorale arrangements, recorded on the Hildebrandt organ in Stormthal near Leipzig, which Bach had examined and inaugurated. Hearing these emblematic works on instruments that the Cantor himself had played is an extraordinary experience that provides direct historical testimony to the sound world of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Their second album of 2025, and their 11th album with Signum Records, baroque giants La Serenissima return with an album of works by composers including Telemann, Sieber, Durante, and Brescianello. The album explores how their styles changed and developed as they ‘crossed borders’ between Italy, Germany, France and other European countries. Vivaldi’, La Serenissima is ‘one of Britain’s best-loved chamber orchestras’ (The Telegraph) known for their outstanding performances, championing a host of neglected Italian baroque composers. Uniquely, the group’s entire repertoire is edited from source material by founder and violinist, Adrian Chandler OSI.

The Hecker Helmchen duo is renowned for the high standard of their performances, which is reflected in their recordings. The German cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker caused a sensation by winning both the First Prize and two Special Prizes at the eighth Rostropovich Competition twenty years ago, whilst Martin Helmchen has also been performing on the most prestigious international stages for two decades. They are partners both on and off the concert platform and are passionate advocates of chamber music. This anthology of Russian music for cello and piano is a journey through the most beautiful and intense pieces of the 20th century and will undoubtedly find a special place in the discography.

The search for our true home is a perennial quest no matter what our historical or cultural background might be. The goal of the journey is not a return to a certain place on the map, or the recovery of lost memories, but to discover within ourselves the true home from which we all came and to which we shall return. It is a search for the meaning of our existence, a search for beauty. The works collected in this album have for a long time been good companions in my search for beauty, in my “journey home”. They brought plenty of joy and precious moments of discovery and recognition for which I am grateful. I hope that you who listen to this album will share with me an admiration for these works, a special feeling of intimacy and tenderness, and will be inspired and reassured on your own journey home, your own search for beauty. Happy sailing!

NOW Music proudly presents the next instalment in the NOW 12” 80s’ series – NOW 12” 80s: 1984 – Part Two, out 11th April 2025.With 46 extended, full-length and remixed versions, this collection captures the energy and diversity of 1984 – a defining year for pop, alternative, electronic and dance music – featuring global chart-toppers, cult classics, and unforgettable club anthems in their 12” versions. This essential set, together with Part One released back in January, is a must-have for collectors and fans of great pop music alike – taking a journey back to the excitement of 1984’s amazing line-up.

While most bands undergo a number of changes over the course of their careers, few of them experienced a more radical stylistic evolution than Fleetwood Mac. Initially conceived as a hard-edged British blues combo in the late '60s, the band gradually evolved into an incredibly popular and influential pop/rock act over the course of a decade. Originally, guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer provided the group with their gutsy psychedelic blues-rock sound, then the band moved toward pop/rock with the addition of keyboardist/songwriter Christine McVie.

The Doors mark the moment when the American rock underground of the 1960s came crashing into the mainstream. The group's massive influence on the course of rock music may been overshadowed by decades of lionization of their late lead singer Jim Morrison, whose early death wound up being a pivotal part of their legacy. He seemed to loom larger in his afterlife than he did when he roamed the earth, his posthumous popularity cresting in the '80s as the Doors returned to radio airwaves in the wake of their magnum opus "The End" soundtracking pivotal moments in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.

England's Deep Purple is bona fide classic rock royalty with a body of work spanning nearly seven decades. Along with Cream, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin, they defined hard rock and early heavy metal.

R.E.M. marked the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe," was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground. While there were a number of hardcore and punk bands in the U.S. during the early '80s, R.E.M. brought guitar pop back into the underground lexicon. Combining ringing guitar hooks with mumbled, cryptic lyrics and a D.I.Y. aesthetic borrowed from post-punk, the band simultaneously sounded traditional and modern. Though there were no overt innovations in their music, R.E.M. had an identity and sense of purpose that transformed the American underground. Throughout the '80s, they worked relentlessly, releasing records every year and touring constantly, playing both theaters and backwoods dives. Along the way, they inspired countless bands, from the legions of jangle pop groups in the mid-'80s to scores of alternative pop groups in the '90s, who admired their slow climb to stardom.

Father John Misty Father John Misty is a stage name adopted by American singer and songwriter Joshua Michael Tillman, whose music paints languid, sadly beautiful portraits of love and life on the margins with the moody depth of Nick Drake and the country-influenced textures of Will Oldham. Tillman adds a touch of dark humor to his Father John Misty persona, especially in his observations of his characters, though it tends to flow with the contemplative, world-weary tone of his songs rather than disturbing it. He also favors rich, expansive arrangements that complement the sweep of his melodies and the expressive reach of his voice.