Sir Bryn Terfel Returns With First New Album In Five Years!

SIR BRYN TERFEL RETURNS WITH FIRST NEW ALBUM IN FIVE YEARS,
‘DREAMS AND SONGS’ FEATURING A-LIST DUET PARTNERS…..

DAME EMMA THOMPSON • ROB BRYDON

ALFIE BOE • KATHERINE JENKINS •

JOSEPH CALLEJA • DANIELLE DE NIESE

RELEASE DATE: 19^TH OCTOBER 2018

 After five years, Sir Bryn Terfel is back with his eagerly-anticipated new studio album ‘Dreams and Songs’ – to be released on 19^th October on Deutsche Grammophon. It’s a collection of his favourite tunes, recorded in brand new orchestral versions and including some special guest duets.

Acclaimed worldwide for tackling the biggest opera roles, Sir Bryn’s new album shows his lighter side with popular concert pieces, traditional Welsh songs, musical hits and entertaining encores. Sir Bryn is joined by his former Sweeney Todd co-star, Oscar-winning actress Dame Emma Thompson for ‘Do You Love Me’ from Fiddler on the Roof – a song she describes as being “just so moving”.

Bryn says: “She came to the recording at Abbey Road the day after it was announced she was being made a Dame, so of course the champagne corks should have been popping but there was work to be done.”

Comedian and fellow Welshman Rob Brydon joins Bryn on the duet ‘The Golfer’s Lament’, a light-hearted tale of life on the fairway. The rousing romp captures their cheeky sense of humour and their shared love of the sport.

Bryn says:

“I think it describes our love of golf to a tee.” 

Rob adds: 

“It was an honour and a thrill to sing with Sir Bryn, and what better than a song celebrating my sporting shortcomings!”

Completing the remarkable line-up of singers is tenor Alfie Boe on ‘Perhaps Love’, soprano Danielle de Niese on ‘Amazing Grace’, tenor Joseph Calleja on ‘Granada’, and soprano Katherine Jenkins on ‘Tell My Father’ from The Civil War.

There is also a world premiere recording of ‘The Shepherd Poet Of Passchendaele’, written especially for Bryn by Penclawdd-born Sir Karl Jenkins, the most performed living composer. The song is inspired by the story of Welsh poet Hedd Wyn, who died on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele (the Third Battle of Ypres), with poignant lyrics written by Sir Karl’s wife – Lady Jenkins, Carol Barratt.

Sir Bryn says:

“It’s always a joy to be back in the recording studio, especially to record some of my favourite concert repertoire. Songs and duets, some humorous encores that I just adore to sing, and was champing at the bit to record. And how lucky I am to share the album with some incredible artists, and to record at the amazing, iconic Abbey Road. All in all, as in ‘The Fields of Athenry’, dreams and songs to sing.”

Sir Bryn Terfel has established an extraordinary career, performing regularly on the prestigious concert stages and opera houses of the world. He is a Grammy, Classic BRIT and Gramophone Award-winning bass-baritone with a discography encompassing operas of Mozart, Wagner and Strauss, and more than 15 solo albums including lieder, American musical theatre, Welsh songs and sacred repertory. Last year he received a knighthood for his service to music.

Operatic highlights to date include: his debut in the role of Hans Sachs in the critically-acclaimed production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for Welsh National Opera; Wotan in The Ring Cycle at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera, New York; his debut in the role of Reb Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof for Grange Park Opera; his debut in the role of Boris Godunov for the Royal Opera House; the title role in Sweeney Todd for English National Opera; and hosting a four-day festival, Brynfest, in London as part of the Southbank Centre’s Festival of the World.

Equally at home on the concert platform, his highlights range from the opening ceremony of the Wales Millennium Centre, BBC Last Night of the Proms and the Royal Variety Show, to a gala concert with Andrea Bocelli in Central Park, New York, and for nine years, he hosted his own festival I Believe – Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman.

‘DREAMS AND SONGS’ – TRACKLISTING:

1. The Fields of Athenry – Pete St. John
2. Perhaps Love (with Alfie Boe) – John Denver
3. If I Were a Rich Man from “Fiddler on the Roof” – Jerry Bock
4. Do You Love Me from “Fiddler on the Roof” (with Emma Thompson) – Jerry Bock
5. Amazing Grace (with Danielle de Niese) – Traditional
6. Trees – Oscar Rasbach
7. Tell My Father from “The Civil War” (with Katherine Jenkins) – Frank Wildhorn
8. The Shepherd Poet Of Passchendaele – Sir Karl Jenkins
9. The Golf Song / Golfer’s Lament (with Rob Brydon) – Albert Hay Malotte
10. Ar Lan Y Môr – Traditional
11. Granada (with Joseph Calleja) – Augustin Lara
12. Smile – Charlie Chaplin
13. The Hippopotamus Song – Michael Flanders and Donald Swann