A Celebration of James Bowman

Heir of his master Alfred Deller, James Bowman was the greatest counter-tenor of his time. His inimitable and deeply moving voice tone was a constant inspiration for the next generation of singers, first and foremost Philippe Jaroussky who described him as “the father of us all, modern counter-tenors”.

Very sought-after, we has featured on numerous iconic recordings, as a soloist, or as member of the Early Music Consort of London. His discographic legacy runs from reference renditions of Handel (Admeto, The Choice of Hercules, various versions of the Messiah) or Purcell’s odes and anthems, to modern music of Bernstein and Britten (the character of Oberon in A Midsummer’s Night Dream was one of his operatic signature roles). He was also a noted performer of early music, having recorded a superb set of Elizabethan tunes with lutenist Robert Spencer, and a collection of Franco-Flemish songs with David Munrow.

This two and a half hour-long album featuring such artists as Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman, Nikolaus Harnoncourt or Richard Hickox offers a wide panorama of the art of this unique musician, who will be deeply missed.