Lots to report and hardly a moment to catch breath so far this year to be honest.
I’ll start with the progress of The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table.
A Pledge Music site is now live with loads of stuff up for grabs to help make the new recording possible which will be 80 minutes long and will have all the original music re–recorded plus the five new pieces. The Orion Orchestra are booked as are the English Rock Ensemble and the English Chamber Choir. Guy Protheroe conducting and with the exception of Matt Pegg replacing Lee Pomeroy on bass, the team is the same as those who recorded Journey with me and indeed, the same as the one that toured Journey in the UK in 2014. I am truly excited about this as so many people asked me on the Journey tour if “Arthur” was next, and now I can say it is! The plan is for the release date to be on June 19th, which is the same day as the O2 performance which we are all looking forward to greatly.
In the meantime it’s flat out at the moment with orchestrations, musical templates, rehearsals and tons of coordination!
Whilst all this is going on, I am also trying to fit in loads of other stuff.....and try to keep healthy, which since being diagnosed as diabetic has become very important in my life.
With the continuation of last year’s “Yet Another Evening With Rick Wakeman” batch of shows about to start, plus additional recording that’s going on which include the preparation of two albums and concerts, one to benefit Downs Syndrome kids and the other to help Autism and its various forms, the Good Lord does not seem to have allowed me enough days in each month....and then of course you have to factor in the Anderson/Rabin/Wakeman project which is really gathering momentum. The music that has been flying back and forth between the three of us is so exciting and some of it quite amazing. We are working on starting to free ourselves up from the second half of the year onwards so that ARW can take our main focus and the plan for recording and touring is suitably ambitious and so it should be!
As The Cadbury Sisters have sadly disbanded, the solo concerts over the next few months will have Prash as support. Prash supported the show in Buxton and went down extremely well with everybody and I know will make a lot of new friends on the upcoming dates..
The single release of Life on Mars, Space Oddity and Always Together for Macmillan Cancer Support is doing well and the physical release is now available with that iconic cover. Thanks to all of you who are supporting such a great charity or indeed, intend supporting them.
All the concert dates are on the website and I do actually seem to have the odd day off in the next few months which is amazing....and I intend to keep them free too!
Adam is performing with his band at the Ramblin’ Man Festival on the 23rd July and also with me for the Steinway Festival in London on the 11th and 12th of March.
Because of the very heavy schedule that has now taken hold, some things will have to give and so the proposed 6 album Exclusive Emporium Collection will now be 2 albums. The first for release during April and the second during November. More details on these very shortly.
Finally....for the moment anyway....and looking way ahead. My annual Xmas concert(s) at the Granary are currently pencilled in for the 16th and 17th of December and I will have a guest, or possibly guests with me as well.
That's it for now........ever onwards!!!
Cheers,
Rick