Set in Stone Simon Richmond & John Metcalfe

• 1 Flowers Barrow 05:40
• 2 Furze 06:16
• 3 Devil's Nightcap 05:47
• 4 Lord of Goathorn 05:09
• 5 Burning Rosemary 02:58
• 6 Hellstone 06:25
• 7 A Descent 01:28
• 8 Down to Ringwoodite 10:08
• 9 Mycelium 04:26
• 10 Deep Soil 10:15
• 11 Caves and Burrows 02:32
• 12 Earth from the Air 07:35
• Total Runtime 01:08:39

Info for Set in Stone

Classical composition meets electronica: Intrigued and inspired by stories of ancient stone circles that lead to the creation of some unique fragrances, John Metcalfe (Peter Gabriel, The Pretenders, The John Metcalfe band) and Simon Richmond (Palmskin Productions, Neneh Cherry, Imagined Village, The Bays) came together to compose Set in Stone.

“A journey through ancient stone circles and a descent to the centre of the Earth”

"Set in Stone" was devised as an accompanying soundscape to the fragrances, stone circles and their settings - from coastal outcrops to Old English heathland, from outdoor rituals of burning herbs to Saxon burial structures. The presence of the stone circles, from their origins through to the present day, was a powerful influence on the music which combines a sense of English tradition and orchestral richness with more contemporary sounds and ambient textures.

Simon Richmond & John Metcalfe

John Metcalfe
From his early days in New Zealand listening to his father sing opera, John Metcalfe has become one the most exciting and versatile musicians in the UK. From giving string quartet recitals in prestigious venues world-wide to composing for radio and TV, arranging for leading rock/pop artists and releasing his own genre-defying music, Metcalfe has gained wide recognition for his unique brand of music-making.

Metcalfe released his debut cd over a decade ago. 'The Inner Line' received glowing reviews with Billboard magazine describing it as '..a solo debut that crosses all manner of boundaries. Melding avant-pop and electronica, film music and contemporary classical 'The Inner Line' is the ideal item for classical fans wanting to investigate a pop-leaning, contemporary sound world or for electronica fans who crave far more musicality than they're used to getting.' His most recent album, 'The Appearance Of Colour',out on Real World Records, epitomises music currently dissolving boundaries between electronic and post-classical styles and was highly acclaimed in the press. Recent live shows with his band have received equally rave reviews.

Moving to England from New Zealand he took up the viola and joined his first band at school playing drums. Raised on a dual-mono diet of Kraftwerk and Joy Division this band influenced his move north-west where he joined cult band The Durutti Column on Manchester's legendary Factory label. He stayed for three years adding his own unique sound and flavour to the enigmatic style of guitarist Vini Reilly.

Hard classical study continued along with hard dancing at the now defunct Hacienda and scholarships took him to London and Berlin to finish his training. His distaste for standard classical recording industry practices led him to persuade Factory boss Tony Wilson to launch the ground-breaking Factory Classical label aimed at bringing young British talent and music to a truly new audience. His talents at A+R led to debuts for now major artists such as Rolf Hind, the late Steve Martland and his own Duke Quartet.

Metcalfe is one of the UK's most sought-after arrangers. Since his work on Morrissey's no.1 solo album Viva Hate, he has worked for artists such as Coldplay, Bat For Lashes and Blur, George Michael, Johnny Marr and Tom Jones. After hearing his arrangement of 'Angel in The Morning' for the 'Friends' soundtrack, the Pretender's Chrissie Hynde asked John to arrange some of her most famous songs for the Isle of View album which featured John's string quartet, the Duke. Metcalfe was the arranger, Musical Director and co-producer of Peter Gabriel's orchestral albums, 'Scratch My Back' and 'New Blood' being closely involved with Gabriel re-interpreting covers of major artists ranging from David Bowie to Paul Simon using only orchestral instruments. Mojo magazine called it "A profound re-imagining made manifest in an orchestral soundworld as rich and thrilling as ever recorded at Air, the studio founded by George Martin". Touring was worldwide visiting renown venues such as Radio City in New York and the Hollywood Bowl.

Metcalfe is currently working on his fifth studio album due for release in Autumn 2017.

This album contains no booklet.