We can reflect on the achievements of 2005 - new signings have included the choirs of: Wells Cathedral under Matthew Owens; St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, under Timothy Byram-Wigfield; and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, under Geoffrey Webber. Nearer to home, a project of Scottish contemporary string quartets is planned with the Edinburgh Quartet. We celebrate the release of our second recording from The Raymond Russell Collection with John Kitchen, and await the iminent release of our complete disc of Luigi Dallapiccola’s music with various artists - including the complete solo piano works with David Wilde. Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies’ Edinburgh Mass will appear on Delphian in the new year, recorded by the Choir of St Mary’s Cathedral Edinburgh - Matthew Owens’ final recording with them. We will embark upon Matthew’s ten-disc documentation of the complete works of Johann Pachelbel in the Spring of ‘06, when we will also see discs comprising the chamber music of Eddie McGuire and a disc of solo trumpet repertoire, much of which was written for our solo artist Mark O’Keeffe. The National Youth Choir of Great Britain and Laudibus, under Mike Brewer’s direction, will mark Giles Swayne’s 60th Birthday with a disc of his choral music.

This year saw our move to UK distributor CODAEX as well as our first distribution deal in the US – with Forte Distribution. It is to be hoped that our attendance at next year’s MIDEM trade fair will result in many more deals encompassing at least the European territories. There’s no doubt one of the highlights of the year was my appearance on BBC Radio 3’s CD Review in an interview conducted by Andrew McGregor. It showcased the work of the label to a hitherto untapped audience and McGregor’s specific interest in the Delphian Subscriber scheme led to our doubling the number of our subscribers. If you are interested in finding out more about the scheme, then please visit our website.

Everyone at Delphian thanks you for your continued support and wishes you a happy Christmas and a fruitful new year.

* listen
Combat de la Mort et de la Vie [excerpt]

* listen
Apparition de l'Eglise éternelle [excerpt]

* buy your copy now

Instruments from the Raymond Russell Collection Vol. II
John Kitchen
DCD34039

"performances are stylish and sympathetic and the music and instruments are beautifully matched"
– The Gramophone

"To have them played by John Kitchen is simply the icing on the cake."
– Scotland on Sunday

Michael Bonaventure records
Messiaen's Livre d'orgue on the organ of
St Giles, Edinburgh (DCD34059)