THE CLOCKMAKER’S DAUGHTER – Studio Cast Recording (AUBURN JAM RECORDS – AJR2640)
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Confession time: when a recording of a new show drops on the mat, my heart sinks. Is it going to be wonderful? Maybe it will be abysmal or just a knock-off of some other show. I always hope with all my heart that it is going to be wonderful – but I can’t tell you the number of times I have been bitterly disappointed. Not with this one though – this is a cracker!
The Clockmaker’s Daughter, an original story with original music, is set in the fictional Irish town of Spindlewood. Like most towns of age, Spindlewood has its traditions. But no practice, custom or old wives’ warning is so firmly adhered to as ‘The Turning of the Key’. Every year, on the last night of winter, as the first day of spring unfolds, the townsfolk gather to take part in a strange ritual… The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a beautiful story built around themes of prejudice, discrimination, animosity and a fear of the unknown – a folk musical with a specific, yet timeless, feel.
It is written by Michael Webborn and Daniel Finn and contains a sterling cast of voices for this studio recording. They include: Ramin Karimloo, Lauren James Ray, Matthew Croke, Fra Fee, Christine Allado and Hannah Waddingham. The performances on the CD are exemplary and this is one of those recordings that makes you long to go and see the actual production. I’ve listened to it a couple of times now – which is something I hardly ever do with shows I am sent to review unless I am really into them. That, in itself, tells you just how great I think this production is.
One huge complaint – and it is a belter. The CD comes in a lovely cover with great artwork and a lot of info about the show and the creators. It has a cast list and on the reverse of the cover it has a track list BUT nowhere does it tell you either which character or singer appears on each track. For a new show, where you may not have seen it and are trying to follow the story, that is a huge mistake in my eyes. Someone’s head should roll. Another thing, that isn’t a complaint, but I wonder how many people will think this is a musical adaptation of the novel The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton, also a film? It isn’t!
Apart from that – this is five stars – I love it and you will too.
Nick Wakeham
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