| Christmas Portraits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 November 2019 | |||
| Recorded | August 2019 | |||
| Studio | The Old Granary Studio, Beccles, Suffolk | |||
| Genre | Classical piano | |||
| Length | 51:14 | |||
| Label | Sony Classical Records | |||
| Producer |
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| Rick Wakeman chronology | ||||
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Christmas Portraits is a studio album by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman. It was released on 29 November 2019 by Sony Classical Records as the third of a series of piano-oriented albums, following Piano Portraits (2017) and Piano Odyssey (2018).
Following the release of his piano album Piano Portraits in 2017, management at Sony Classical Records suggested to Wakeman that he record a follow-up with piano variations of Christmas songs. Wakeman thought it could work at first, but wanted to spend some time thinking about whether such a concept would work. [1] He ultimately agreed to do it, but felt its release needed a gap after Piano Portraits and that a string section was needed to complement the arrangements. Instead, he recorded and released Piano Odyssey in 2018. [1]
In March 2019, Wakeman announced upcoming meetings about the possibility of recording a new piano album, with its theme yet to be determined. [2] In the following months Sony gave the green-light for a Christmas themed piano album featuring variations of Christmas songs and carols. Wakeman started work on Christmas Portraits by listing 42 Christmas pieces that he was interested to record for the album. After a period of playing the pieces on the piano, he realised that some did not work as a piano arrangement and the list was reduced to 23 potential tracks. [1] From here, Wakeman entered the studio with his longtime engineer Erik Jordan. However, he found that some of the songs were too short in length as standalone tracks. To solve this issue, pieces were combined to form a single track. [1]
Wakeman recorded the album at The Old Granary Studio near Beccles in Suffolk because it houses one of his favourite instruments, a Steinway Model D grand piano. Wakeman dedicated August 2019 to record Christmas Portraits. [3] Wakeman arrived at the studio on the first day of recording to find it decorated with "a moth-eaten Christmas tree" with presents and tinsel. [4] The album was recorded with Wakeman's longtime engineer Erik Jordan, who is also credited as a co-producer. In September 2019, Wakeman revealed that the album was finished and it had been delivered to Sony. [5]
The album was released on 29 November 2019. Wakeman supported it with The Grumpy Old Christmas Show piano tour across England in December, featuring live performances tracks from Christmas Portraits. [6] [7]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The First Noel" | ||
| 2. | "In the Bleak Midwinter" | Gustav Holst | |
| 3. | "Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly"/"Away in a Manger" | ||
| 4. | "The Holly and the Ivy"/"Mary's Boy Child" | ||
| 5. | "Silent Night" | ||
| 6. | "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"/"Angels from the Realms of Glory" | ||
| 7. | "O Come All Ye Faithful"/"Hark the Herald Angels Sing"/"See Amid the Winter Snow" | ||
| 8. | "O Little Town of Bethlehem" | ||
| 9. | "I Saw Three Ships"/"When a Child is Born" | ||
| 10. | "O Holy Night" | ||
| 11. | "The Coventry Carol"/"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" | ||
| 12. | "A Winter's Tale" | Mike Batt and Tim Rice | |
| 13. | "We Three Kings" | ||
| 14. | "Sussex Carol"/"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Joy to the World" |
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [8] | 78 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [9] | 82 |
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. AllMusic describes Wakeman as a "classically trained keyboardist extraordinaire who plied his trade with Yes and developed his own brand of live spectacular in a solo act."
Trevor Charles Rabin is a South African rock musician and composer. Born into a musical family and raised in Johannesburg, Rabin took up the piano and guitar at an early age and became a session musician, playing and producing with a variety of artists. In 1972, he joined the rock band Rabbitt, which enjoyed considerable success in South Africa, and released his first solo album, Beginnings. In 1978, Rabin moved to London to further his career, working as a solo artist and a producer for various artists including Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
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The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a studio album by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released on 27 March 1975 by A&M Records. It is a concept album based on the stories and people of the King Arthur legend. Wakeman started to write the music in 1974 while recovering from a heart attack and recorded it with his five-piece band the English Rock Ensemble, the New World Orchestra, and the English Chamber Choir.
Tormato is the ninth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 22 September 1978 on Atlantic Records, and is their last album with singer Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman before their departure from the group in 1980. After touring their previous album Going for the One (1977), the band entered rehearsals in London to record a follow-up. The album was affected by various problems, such as internal disputes over the direction of the music and artwork, and the departure of engineer Eddy Offord early into the sessions, resulting in the group producing the album themselves.
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Adam Wakeman is an English musician and the current keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne's band; he also played keyboards and guitar off-stage for Black Sabbath. Wakeman has also worked with Annie Lennox, Travis, the Company of Snakes, Strawbs, Will Young, Victoria Beckham, Atomic Kitten and Martin Barre.
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