The Magic Theatre - London Town

About The Magic Theatre
The Magic Theatre are Dan Popplewell & Sophia Churney, As front people they had significant UK success, Between various other things (Dan's forged a career in film & TV composing, whilst Sophia has been studying for a Doctorate in Psychology), they've been busy hatching a The Magic Theatre plot - a concept album featuring time-travel, orchestras and classic pop songs.
About London Town
The album concept developed over 4 years of discussions, plans and song-writing, culminating in orchestral recordings with The Slovak Radio Orchestra and the Estonian Chamber Choir.
The album is a time-travel love story set in 1968 & 1888, where the young 60s hero falls through a hole in time in The Magic Theatre in the Old Victorian Steam fair, to find his one true love in 1880's London.
The songs follow the story one chapter at a time, charting their meeting and ultimate tragic separation.
But beyond the story the album is many other things.
It is a reflection on love, loss, growing old and acceptance set against a metaphorical backdrop of the changing seasons. With spring comes optimism and youth; summer comes with love and togetherness; autumn brings uncertainty and loss and finally comes winter and old age but also acceptance.
Musically the sounds are chosen from those of 1968 & 1888, but not in a pastiche; the eras are synthesized into a natural and timeless emotional halo.
It also marks a pinnacle of achievement for Dan & Sophia - after 20 years' recording experience, an end to experiments; the chance to look back and finally show the best of what they've learned and what they love in a focused concentrated form. In the process they've created the best productions, songs, tunes & lyrics of their lives, where the meaning of the words is fully woven into the nuances of music and sound.
The album also marks a set of career-defining vocal performances from Sophia - her considerable potential now dazzling with a new radiance and power
This was a labour of love, a monumentally ambitious achievement, Dan & Sophia's stab at artistic immorality.







01 - Steamroller (2:40)
02 - Out There (3:07)
03 - St. Agnes Eve (2:37)
04 - Inside The Magic Theatre (0:48)
05 - Summer Sun (3:55)
06 - Rowing Boat Love Song (3:40)
07 - London Town (3:36)
08 - Return To The Magic Theatre (2:26)
09 - Silent Snow (4:02)
10 - The Old Cottage (4:02)
11 - Elegy (3:26)


Credits
Vocals - Sophia Churney
Music - Dan Popplewel

Bass - Steve Flett
Woodwind - Richard Harvey
Percussion - Paul Walsham



Reviews
Classic pop songs, West Coast harmonies, English Folk, a time-travel love story, East European choirs and orchestras…
This is a curiosity you cannot overlook. The music you hear as you fall asleep, this is the album you were waiting for.

I usually don't like albums like this. Each song essentially plays out like its own romance fantasy (well, there's probably one big story here). Usually this kind of music comes off as overly cutesy or precious but there's something just so damn listenable about this album. It's simply infectious. Her sweet, smooth voice sounds like it's straight out of a little musical at a local stage. The melodies are both pretty and sweeping and there's a bunch of neat little production touches that help bring each song to life. It just works.