Circle comprises singers who collaborate with a host of guest artists and instrumentalists. Our tracks have been played on Scala, BBC Radio 6, JazzFM and many BBC radio stations, and the album was featured in the Guardian's list of top Christmas albums of 2020, and the Observer in 2021.Spotify describe our audience as'Time travellers' who enjoy exploring music, are eccelctic, innovative and seek the unique. Sonic historians ! Perhaps that's you?
As singers we apply our choral experience to both traditional and contemporary song. Our music also features the moving and lively tones of the kora, cornett, recorder, ebow, cello, nyckelharpa, saxophone and bassoon, not to mention the ancient and quirky 'crumhorn'. The result is a unique 'folk choral' blend that packs an emotional punch and is accessible to everyone.
Why did we make it?
Seasons is the first album that features all our original material. The songs were written for the two lead singers : Livy and Harriet and recorded at Tad with Ashley on digital keyboards and Harriet on Saxophone.
Initially Circle focused on folky choral songs, with a strong early music feel, but more recently with feedback from Spotify data and local radio stations, have encouraged a more mainstream in approach, weaving in folk and jazz influences around core songs to suit the vocalists’ style.
The result is a range of songs written in 2022 to create an emotionally accessible sound often referencing nature and human relations. Some say we have a serene quality, which is something we’ve developed further in the title track’ Make my day’ sung by Livy accompanied by Harriet’s Saxophone, the slightly new age ‘Solstis’ and ‘Wintering’.
Areas of departure include the more orchestral and musical styled ‘Be with me’ and ‘Seasons’, ‘On your lips’, with more classic mainstream songs of ‘ Power of Love’ and ‘Don’t be hard on yourself’.
Either way, we are so pleased to offer you these songs and really hope you will enjoy them.
The tracks will all available via Spotify, Amazon, Apple, YouTube and all other digital platforms, along with our other repertoire.
Why did we make it?
The new album from Circle is designed to whisk you away to a romantic, dream-like place, to delight your inner emotions and sooth your deeper places with instruments and song.
Some would say, its pure escapism, but we like to bring you beauty and texture, through an accessible, reimagined choral, world, and folk music.
Following Circle’s acclaimed first album ‘Songs from the Heart’, Circle continue drawing on unusual instruments, this time featuring both the mellifluous Kora of Kadialy Kouyate, a Senegalese Griot living in London, and Richard Thomas’ evocative, medieval Cornett, oft played in Monteverdi’s Vespers by his Quintessential Sackbut and Cornett ensemble.
Nor are we to overlook the evergreen ‘James Bowman’ who solo's on a new piece written for him ‘Like this’, by producer Ashley Goodall.
Circle enjoyed making a positively mainstream choral album, incorporating even dance rhythms, an exotic song from Greece 'Sekeilos' sung by Livy Watson, the earliest known written song, in English for the first time for 2,000 years. The gentle ‘Tiree Love song’from Scotland with Kora accompaniment, or a ‘lusciously beautiful’ full version of the Renaissance Henry the eighth song ‘Green Grows the Holly’ with Cornett and Kora in an extended groove sequence. Not to forget Dominus Vobiscum by the Estonian Sisask, with the overlay of Kora and Ebow guitar and break out synth beats to a religious text, possibly a combo first!
Finally, a dramatic and romantic sweep of a finale sung by Harriet van der Vliet in ‘On your lips’, imagined walking down a grand staircase, written by Ashley.
We just love it and hope you can take the time to listen and play it….nonstop!
February 2022
Thrilled to release a new E.P, Hallelujah! Consisting of 3 original songs and an instrumental. Written in December and generally celebrating the Winter season, with 'Wintering' sung by Livy, Hallelujah with Harriet, and their soaring vocals.
Here's the link to all digital platforms and a taster of the tracks.
https://open.spotify.com/album/4c0KYlNMb4Vl3fyc4THzCn?si=25ts44g0TwmkxUmrKOvfhw