Katie Bray, Murray Grainger, Marianne Schofield, William Vann - In Search of Youkali: Songs of Kurt Weill (2026) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. A Glimpse of Youkali (Arr. for Voice by Katie Bray)
02. Die Dreigroschenoper: Barbarasong (Arr. for Voice, Double Bass, Piano & Accordion by Katie Bray, Murray Grainger, Marianne Schofield & William Vann)
03. Berlin im Licht (Arr. for Voice & Piano by Katie Bray & William Vann)
04. Die Dreigroschenoper: Overture (Arr. for Double Bass, Piano & Accordion by Murray Grainger, Marianne Schofield & William Vann)
05. Happy End: Surabaya Johnny (Arr. for Voice, Double Bass, Piano & Accordion by Katie Bray, Murray Grainger, Marianne Schofield & William Vann)
06. A Vision of Youkali (Arr. for Accordion by Murray Grainger)
07. Complainte de la Seine (Arr. for Voice & Piano by Katie Bray & William Vann)
08. Je ne t'aime pas (Arr. for Voice & Piano by Katie Bray & William Vann)
09. Marie Galante: J'attends un navire (Arr. for Voice, Double Bass, Piano & Accordion by Katie Bray, Murray Grainger, Marianne Schofield & William Vann)
10. A Dream of Youkali (Arr. for Double Bass by Marianne Schofield)
11. Lunchtime Follies: Buddy on the Nightshift (Arr. for Voice, Double Bass & Piano by Katie Bray, Marianne Schofield & William Vann)
12. Nanna's Lied (Arr. for Voice & Piano by Katie Bray & William Vann)
13. Knickerbocker Holiday: September Song (Arr. for Piano by Louis C. Singer)
14. Huckleberry Finn: Apple Jack (Arr. for Voice & Accordion by Katie Bray & Murray Grainger)
15. A Premonition of Youkali (Arr. for Voice by Katie Bray)
16. One Touch of Venus: Speak Low (Arr. for Voice & Piano by Katie Bray & William Vann)
17. Lady in the Dark: My Ship (Arr. for Voice & Piano by Katie Bray & William Vann)
18. Huckleberry Finn: This Time Next Year (Arr. for Voice & Piano by Katie Bray & William Vann)
19. Youkali Tango-habanera (Arr. for Voice, Double Bass, Piano & Accordion by Katie Bray, Murray Grainger, Marianne Schofield & William Vann)

Winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, the British mezzo-soprano Katie Bray has become known for her magnetic stage presence and gleaming, expressive tone.

Katie writes: ‘Youkali, It is the land of our desires, It is happiness, it is pleasure... But it is a dream, a folly, There is no Youkali!’. This song was my first encounter with Kurt Weill, more than twenty years ago, and that yearning, mesmerising tango has been a constant companion ever since.

The sentiment behind ‘Youkali’ touched me deeply, and seemed to echo Weill’s own search for a place of personal and artistic freedom, a German Jew forced into exile in 1933 owing to the rise of the Nazi regime. He moved around the world, and with each new country came a reinvention of himself and some more miraculous musical shape-shifting. ‘Youkali’ is Weill’s ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’, an idea that resonates strongly with me, and seems painfully relevant to us all as I write this, in 2025, yet again living in a world at war. My performances of Weill’s songs have always centred around ‘Youkali’ and Weill’s search for a place to belong and to be free. I have wanted to make this album for many years, and am thrilled finally to have had the chance to do so with such a special team of collaborators and friends. It is my tribute to Kurt Weill, the chameleon, in all his glory, and a tribute to us all in our search for kindness, love, and peace’.

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