The Music CDs

Throughout each of the three books in the series The King and Wizard Stories, there appear many songs and poems, some quite long, but most relatively short. These have all been set to fully-orchestrated music specially composed by Stuart Warren, a talented musician and composer living in Cumbria. The music for each of the three books, Magic in Vàldovar, Dreams of Vàldovar, and Wonders of Vàldovar, has been recorded, and a CD is to be found on the inside back cover of the relevant book. Stuart’s compositions take in a wide range of musical styles; some have a distinctly operatic feel, others have catchy tunes or highly recognizable rhythmic forms (waltz, tango, and sea-shanty, for example), and here and there one can detect a Sullivanesque influence. Whatever form it takes, the music always provides a delightful and accurate interpretation of the Author’s words. Young readers find that the music adds an exciting dimension to the stories, whilst the complex orchestration appeals particularly to adults. In total, there are 58 tracks on the three CDs, 16 on the CD to Book 1, 22 on the CD to Book 2, and 20 on the CD to Book 3.