Lumas Winds presents The Naming of Birds, an album illustrating the development of the British wind quintet, starting in the 1960s, and finishing in the early 21st century, exploring one piece from each decade.

"This album is designed to serve as a point of accessibility for these works, especially the three world-premiere recordings by Sally Beamish, Gavin Higgins and Elizabeth Maconchy. We have always been drawn to performing fresh and exciting music that is rarely heard or performed, but have found programming new works can be difficult without knowing how the sound will complement or contrast the rest of the concert. We hope this recording will provide a reference point for future ensembles, encouraging them to programme these works.

"We have reflected the diverse British identities of the Lumas Winds members in our choices. Welshman William Mathias's Wind Quintet is the earliest work on the disc, and was one of the first pieces we chose for this programme. Thea Musgrave and Oliver Knussen were both Scottish composers by birth, with Gavin Higgins and Elizabeth Maconchy hailing from England. Sally Beamish, English by birth, has spent a large proportion of her career drawing inspiration from the scenery and folk music of Scotland. We worked closely with Sally in the build-up to this recording and The Naming of Birds, both the piece and the album, continued to evolve as a result."

Lumas Winds is a dynamic young wind quintet based in London, comprised of recent graduates for the Royal Academy and the Royal College of Music. Winners of the 2023 Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition Mixed Ensemble Prize, the members of Lumas are committed ambassadors for wind chamber music and the rich variety of repertoire that it offers.

The group presents diverse and varied programmes, framing lesser-known works alongside classics of the canon. It was with such a rarity - Elizabeth Maconchy's Wind Quintet, featuring on this album - that Lumas won the Royal Academy of Music's Historical Women Composers Prize in 2022. Lumas won the Tunnell Trust Award in 2023, touring to Scotland in 2024 as a result. As Britten Pears Young Artists, they will be resident at Snape Maltings, where they will specialise in contemporary chamber music.

Lumas Winds:
- Beth Stone (flute)
- Chris Vettraino (oboe)
- Rennie Sutherland (clarinet)
- Flo Plane (bassoon)
- Johan Stone (horn)