The music of composer
Oliver Davis
has consistently landed on English best-seller lists, and this 2025 release was no exception.
Davis
writes sunny, motoric scores that are just varied enough to avoid the rigors of minimalism, and each album has a distinct instrumental sound. By now, he has a group of players, including violinists
Kerenza Peacock
and
Benjamin Baker
and pianist
Huw Watkins
, who know what he wants and execute it effectively under the direction of
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
conductor
Julian Kershaw
.
Life
emphasizes the sound of the violin, with the album dedicated to the memory of the composer's father, violinist
Howard Davis
. Everything is pleasantly tonal, with a variety of solo and orchestral effects; hear the pre-recorded tapping of the violin from
Peacock
in the second movement that makes a nice counterpoint to the mostly pizzicato opening movement.
aims his music squarely at the middle of the mainstream audience represented by Britain's Classic FM network, and within this context, he delivers an impressively diverse product. Those who have heard about but not heard
' best-selling music can find a good sample of it here. ~ James Manheim