My latest recording, Family of Man, was released on December 1st, 2019.
This single theme work comprises a suite of pieces written in response to Barbara Hepworth’s remarkable set of sculptures situated on a hillside in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
When Barbara Hepworth moved to St Ives, the sea and the surrounding countryside made a deep impression on her: something she referred to as the ‘pagan landscape’ evoked by the standing stones and megalithic tombs, a feature of this part of Cornwall. She felt these mysterious abstract forms had strong sculptural qualities and a powerful spiritual presence – the impression is of figures standing upright in the landscape.
Towards the end of her life she realised her impressions in Family of Man – nine figures on a hill. A set of these figures found an eventual resting place on a hill in her native county, in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The work is a series of upright forms which acknowledge civilisations past and present. They are arranged in accordance with Hepworth’s intention to suggest relationships between generations. At the bottom of the hill stands Young Girl; walking up the hill, the viewer encounters Youth, Bride andGroom, Parents and Ancestors. At the top of the hill stands Ultimate Form, which embodies the aspirations, hopes and fears across the generations, past and present.
The album is available for download/streaming from Amazon, Spotify and iTunes . CD release to follow.
david ashworth 