Album Z - debut disc

Aim: Drawing together a STELLAR team of artists, with your help, debut Album Z and NMC Records launch my music onto the international stage.

Album Z

• Z concept

Having spent most of my professional life supporting and encouraging the work of others, as cellist, performer, educator, mentor, podcaster, panellist, curator, writer and all-round experimental blonde, the time has come for my OWN music to shine.

 And this album is where it really begins for me. As a composer...

Release date: November 28th 2025!

• Z label

A unique record label, NMC Recordings is a multi award-winning arts charity dedicated to promoting a kaleidoscopic range of KICKING contemporary music from across Britain and Ireland, showcasing an exceptional and ever-expanding catalogue of highest level recordings gathered from over 35 years in the biz, an impressive roster of world class composers under their roof.

It is truly an honour to be invited to make my composer debut recording with this distinguished label, and I'm determined to do 'em proud.

(NMC poster girl!)

• Z artists

Drawing together an extraordinary team of internationally-renowned virtuoso artists, Album Z raises the curtain on charisma bomb, dramatic mezzo Lucy Schaufer, who joins forces with legendary piano meister Huw Watkins for my bonkers theatrical song cycle "Musae."

(Lucy Schaufer: Performer. Creative producer. Mentor.)

Rising international star Ben Goldscheider (below) plays the lead in my apocalyptic space drama"Nibiru", wielding amplified horn and a shed-load of electronics (7.1 surround sound I'll have you know); followed by the seismic music explosion that is composer/clarinettist Mark Simpson, who'll be whizzing, shrieking, gasping and muttering clarinetty spells through my deeply haunted electronica number"Atma".

The HEARTBREAKING beauty of tenor Alessandro Fisher's glorious voice pours through my “In the Park” settings of poems exploring London's green spaces, with the marvellous Lana Bode weaving her delicate magic at the keyboard.

And to bring us back to Earth, or rather, Broadway, Nicholas Daniel and Huw Watkins launch my oboe/piano glitter screamer, “Nick My Pearls You Cry” (a title given multiple fascinating punctuation variations in concert programmes), premmied at Wigmore Hall, London last year.

• Z cash

As explained in the video, we've now got ALL the recordings in the bag, with incredible performances all round, and the album is pretty much ready to go into production. 

But we've just had a last minute curve ball emergency, and need your help!

The rights have been refused for one of the texts for one of the songs on the album, (a tiny paragraph from "101 Dalmations" by Dodie Smith) and there's nothing for it, we have to re-record within a month of this campaign opening, otherwise the album can't go ahead. Which is SO not an option.

Good news is - we've already miraculously managed to pin a date where the artists, venue and sound engineer are free. All we need now is 1500 quid (min) to cover the essentials. Which, let's face it, is peanuts...

The costs are:

• Venue hire - Angela Burgess Hall at Royal Academy of Music 
• Recording engineer
• Post production editing/mastering
• Piano hire/tuning
• Artist fees to learn/rehearse new song 
• NMC production/management costs

(Mark Simpson: Composer. Clarinettist. Conductor.)

• Z distribution

Yes I KNOW no one uses CDs anymore, but don’t worry! NMC has bad-ass online distribution which guarantees this album will go out on all the main streaming platforms (Spotify etc). And if you’d like the physical object, I’m gonna make sure it looks STUNNING, with a limited edition PINK FUR cover....

If you’ve read this far, I love you. Really LOVE you. So hang in there. Just a couple more paras to go, including some lovely videos tasters of the recordings already in the bag.

(Lana Bode - piano, Alessandro Fisher - tenor)

• Z vision 

To make an album of music that inspires, uplifts, moves, entertains and shares the extraordinary skill and musicianship of these world class artists at the height of their game. To show that new music can be FUN, and has feelings...

And that a woman in her mid 50s (me) can start to really come into her stride as an artist, CAN begin a brand new career as a composer, and produce something that she and her artists are really proud of.

(Huw Watkins: Composer. Pianist)

• Z album so far

The first recording sessions happened  at the fantastic World Heart Beat studios in London earlier this year, where Mark Simpson and Ben Goldscheider absolutely SLAYED my two electronica pieces "Atma" and "Nibiru" (both with processing and a fixed audio track made in surround sound) with some truly spectacular playing, fizzing with virtuosity and life force. 

Some session photos:

(with Mark Simpson)

(Ben Goldscheider and Mark)

(The beautiful live room at World Heart Beat studios)

(A temporary tech glitch..)

Here's a snippet of the glorious Alessandro Fisher and Lana Bode recording "In the Kyoto Garden", part of my song cycle, at  beautiful recital hall Royal Academy of Music:

This song to release as a single, October 31st HALLOWEEN! this year...

Lucy Schaufer and Huw Watkins NAILING the theatricality of my song cycle at their Royal Academy of Music session. 

Me on percussion, for extra zazz:

Back in World Heart Beat (above) with the LEGENDARY Nick Daniel (oboe) doing impossibly amazing stuff with Huw Watkins at the keyboard for "Nick my pearls you cry" - a cracking album closer.

• Z future

For the record (if you'll pardon the pun), there's now at least one more album of my music in vitro, with some fantastic performers already lined up. And these Zequels can springboard from this disc...

• Z rewards

I’d LOVE to offer you fabulous rewards for your support, I really would. Champagne receptions, intimate bubble bath one-to-ones with the artists, even some funky Album Z merch (and who knows, Z key-rings ’n’ coasters might yet happen later down the line…)

“Platinum Tier” contributors - of 350 quid plus - WILL have their names clearly inscribed on the album booklet. And my heart….

What I CAN offer all contributors is my DEEPEST appreciation, gratitude and love for their generosity, for believing that this album is worth it, that these incredible artists CAN go ahead and make some fantastic music for you. The knowledge that you're keeping the fires of new music burning.

THANK YOU. From the bottom of my heart. Your support means EVERYTHING.

Zoë 💖🙏