A passionate advocate for the bassoon, Amy Harman is much sought after as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher, and communicator. Appointed solo bassoon of the Philharmonia Orchestra aged twenty-three, she is currently principal bassoon of the Aurora Orchestra and much in demand as a guest principal with leading orchestras in Europe, including Paavo Järvi’s Estonian Festival Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Amy writes: ‘The quality in all the musicians I have loved is the ability to make their instruments sing – to make a sound that is an extension of their voice and to communicate directly to the souls of their listeners. I was lucky enough to give many recitals during my time sponsored by the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT), in my early twenties, and when I was putting together programmes, I was always drawn to either transcriptions of songs or repertoire in which I felt that the bassoon could leave behind its sometimes comedic image and become a voice. I have been even luckier to perform many of these recitals with Tom Poster, and we have over the years narrowed down our favourites to the pieces collected on this album. The Bassoonist’s Songbook is a showcase of the side of the bassoon that I love the most, and I hope that many of you, too, will enjoy the songs that nestle within this beautiful instrument.’