Julian Ovenden is not who you think he is. Sure, you’ll have seen him a lot on television including Foyle’s War and as the scheming Charles Blake in Downton Abbey, but his new album, Be My Love,released April 22nd on East West Records, is the culmination of 33 years of musical training.
Based on his love of great American composers and lyricists of the first half of the 20th Century, the album includes works from Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, and the great partnerships of Rodgers & Hammerstein and Rodgers & Hart. What all these names have in common are that they hark to an era when the lyrics were as important as the music.
From Irving Berlin’s 1923 composition “What’ll I Do” to Shirley Horn’s classic 1992 “Here’s To Life”, sometimes alongside an orchestra, sometimes alongside a big band or sometimes alongside just a piano, the record is underpinned by a voice brimming with joy, hurt and passion.
It’s in the tradition of Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr and the great standards singers of any era, but as Julian explains, “it’s a marriage of old and new. I respect these songs, but they’re done with a fresh, dynamic sensibility.”
To celebrate the release of the album we’ve got 5 copies of Be My Love to give away to our readers. To be in with a chance of winning, answer one simple questions below:
Win Julian Ovenden’s Be My Love on CD
The competition closes at 23.59 (GMT) on Thursday 28th April 2016.
Terms & conditions
- The competition is open to all UK residents over the age of 13.
- Winners will be selected at random.
- By entering into the competition all entrants agree to be bound by the terms and conditions.
- All information provided by the entrant must be accurate and proof of age may be requested.
- Entertainment Focus does not allow collective or proxy entries.
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- Winners will be notified via email or phone (or where applicable) social media (depending on the type of competition).
- In the unlikely event the prize style has discontinued a similar model to the same value will be provided.
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