Recording our First Album

We are seeking funding to release a new choral album of music by Alexander Campkin

The album is based on the concept of a journey through the night, darkness, links with Alex’s own life experience and the challenges he has faced through living with Multiple sclerosis. He feels that we are the right choir to be able to present his music (including some premiere recordings) and we feel that it’s something we’d be proud to produce as the groups’ first commercial album. We have a Label on board to help produce and release the project, who have experience in working with choirs of our standard and helping to promote and advocate young musicians. As it happens a number of their production team are graduates of Durham University.

Speaking as the group’s artistic director, I can’t understate the value an investment in the disc would grant us; the chance to record professionally as young, aspiring musicians does not frequently present itself, and I, and my dedicated singers, would be ever more grateful for the career-forwarding prospects this album could present. We are to compete in our first international competition in November of this year, so to continue this possible step up in the group’s recognition with a recording would be invaluable. As a musician from the north, I have also experienced the regional disparity in the opportunities available in choral and classical music, so would endeavour to use this album as a platform to increase the group’s influence in the region’s classical music production, continuing to work with schools and youth choirs around the area. 

In preparation for this project, Phoenix Consort have a number of concerts planned in the coming months, and we’re looking to recording across 9-10 December 2023 in Hild Bede College Chapel. The project would involve 16-20 singers who are primarily current members of Durham University.

In order to undertake this project, we, the choir, will need to raise £6,000 to cover the costs associated with the commercial recording, production, and release of this album. This would include the hire or a recording venue, engineer and producer. They would record and produce a CD master, with the Label. The figure accounts for partial investment of time and finance from the Label, without which, the sum would be higher.