Today I have some of the most exciting news I have ever shared about my music. It’s a project which has been almost 40 years in the making!

The Story Of Return To Wine Dark Sea

Many people first became aware of my music through my first album Wine Dark Sea back in 1986.

For anyone who doesn’t know the story, I originally composed Wine Dark Sea as an orchestral work featuring guitar – a sort of Guitar Symphony.

It was premiered at the Victoria Palace in London in 1983 with my good friend the late Louis Clark conducting the orchestra. We also had a full rock section plus myself on both classical and electric rock guitars.

A few years later I was offered a record deal to make an album of the piece but it was on a tight budget. So, I took the bare essentials of the orchestral score and performed all the parts myself on guitars and keyboards along with a Linn drum machine (state of the art at the time!). The album received good reviews and was even recommended to chart in Billboard magazine.

Even so, I was left with an overriding feeling that I had not fully realised my original vision. So I then revised and expanded the original score which took me 9 months, hoping that one day I might be able to get it recorded.

Recording Return To Wine Dark Sea

In recent years, I have set up a new recording studio and learned to use the latest computer technology – a far cry from my first recording days working on a TEAC 4 track reel to reel machine! My new set up has proved to be an incredible game changer, because for the first time, I have had the opportunity to record my revised score in its entirety.

Here is a clip of me working on ‘Dreams Of Old‘ in my studio.

Alongside classical and electric guitars, I have played every other individual music part – up to 100 orchestral parts in some sections – thanks to the wonderful library of orchestral samples that I have been able to build.

It is now 3 years since I started work on the recording but it is now complete. As a solo project I knew it would be a challenging and long journey. It has been all of that – and more – but so worthwhile!

The result is what I had originally envisioned all those years ago, with the emotive power and the nuances I always wanted to hear.

I hope you enjoy the music and that it helps lift your spirits in these strange and difficult times.

Best wishes,
Stephen