This album is not an attempt to fuse classical and contemporary rock music. It is a symphonic arrangement of a modern composer's most popular works. We make no claims to be breaking down the barriers between the classics and rock, or excuses to purists of either faction, but ask you, the listener, to judge this recording on its merit.

Our initial task was to select a composer whose work was of the quality and style to make transcription into a purely symphonic format warranted and interesting, Satisfied of this with the compositions of Rick Wakeman we then approached Richard Hartley, a composer, arranger and producer with classical training and wide experience in the field popular music. He agreed that there has never been any real barrier between classical and modern music in a purely musical level, that of composition, but that it is only a question of successful interpretation. After all, many rock bands have recorded successful versions of classical works using amplified instruments. It was only logical to reverse this process.

This is especially true when applied to the works of a composer like Rick Wakeman who was one of a new style of rock musician to emerge in the late 1960s. These were serious composers and virtuoso performers, many of whom were classically trained, attracted by the possibilities of experiment in the more sophisticated forms of rock created by the development of a market for albums of contemporary music. With them, they brought a new level of expertise and distinctive approach that was to dominate the next decade.

So it was in 1976, that the final step was taken when we approached Robin Geoffrey Cable, a well known producer acknowledged as one of Britain's best sound recording engineers, to employ techniques developed during ten years of rock music, such as close microphoning, recording in sections and a system of synchronisation using pulses similar to that used in film making, with a symphony orchestra.

Orchestral Suite From 'The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And Knights Of The Round Table'

1a Arthur
1b Lady Of The Lake
1b Merlin The Magician 1c The Last Battle

    The Six Wives Of Henry VIII 

2a Catherine Howard
2b Anne Boleyn

    The Orchestral Suite From 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth'  

3a The Journey 3b Recollection
3c The Battle
3d The Forest

4 After The Ball (From The Album And Film 'White Rock')