Composer Nathan James Dearden is featured in a new interview on Planet Hugill, discussing his debut album, i breathe, the choirs who perform on it, and the experiences that have shaped his work as a composer.
In conversation with Robert Hugill, Nathan talks about the ten years of musical collaborations brought together on the album, which features the Choir of Royal Holloway, Kantos Chamber Choir, and the National Youth Choir of Wales. He describes the recording as a collection of musical 'postcards', capturing different moments and friendships from his work with each ensemble.
'To capture the fullness of what choral singing is'
A central theme of the conversation is the different qualities each choir brings to the recording. Nathan discusses the National Youth Choir of Wales, where he sang as a teenager, the Choir of Royal Holloway, which has become an important place of musical exploration, and Kantos, whose performances have given him a fresh perspective on his own music.
He also reflects on the practical and artistic challenges of bringing together three different ensembles for a debut album, and his ambition to capture the breadth of choral singing, from 'untrained rawness to sheer brilliance'.
'I love directness and hate fluff'
The interview explores Nathan's approach to setting texts, including his interest in poetry, the differences between writing in Welsh and English, and the importance of clarity in musical expression. He discusses the influence of Katherine Towers, whose poetry he has set in The way we go, alongside his interest in the directness of Minimalist music.
The conversation also touches on his own beginnings as a singer with the National Youth Choir of Wales, his subsequent work as a professional singer, and the way composing grew out of his relationships with other musicians.
Looking beyond i breathe
Towards the end of the interview, Nathan discusses some of his other current projects, including Mamiaith, his developing collaboration with Music Theatre Wales, Tŷ Cerdd, and the National Eisteddfod, as well as a project with Only Boys Aloud exploring connections between younger singers and Wales's male voice choir tradition.
Read the full interview on Planet Hugill: https://www.planethugill.com/2026/11/to-capture-fullness-of-what-choral.html
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