The music of Sheffield-born composer Wilfred Heaton (1918-2000) will be the focus of a new album from Divine Art due to be released in early 2025.
Heaton is a household name in the brass band world, where some of his early worlds enjoy ‘classic’ status.
After his death a ‘hidden’ side of his creativity came to light when manuscripts of orchestral and instrumental music were discovered in which he used to call his “unregarded corner”.
With this release, Murray McLachlan and friends shed new light on the work of this reluctant genius with premiere recordings of instrumental music and songs spanning some six decades, including the first performance of his monumental Piano Sonata composed in the early 1950s.
The album will be recorded at Stoller Hall, Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester in August. Hopefully this new album will bring Heaton new admirers from outside the brass band community.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the Heaton family