Music from British composer and saxophone player Barbara Thompson. A saxophone orchestra bringing a mix of Big Band, classical, modern classical and minimal music. Sounding pleasantly fresh, and the quality of performance is high.

Born in Oxford in 1944, Barbara Thompson started playing recorder aged 6, and was to finish her academic career studying clarinet, flute, piano and composition at the Royal College f Music. Whilst retaining a strong interest in classical music, she commenced a working career a jazz saxophonist and played with most the great UK jazz musicians. She finally formed her own group Paraphernalia in 1977 and by the early 1980s the band became one of the major instrumental attractions on the European concert scene where it toured for over 30 years. She has recorded more than 20 albums under her own name, as well as appearing on numerous others. She worked with Andrew Floyd-Webber for several years, on projects including Variations, Tell me On A Sunday, and Cats. Viewers of the popular TV series ‘Touch of Frost' will recognise the sound her haunting saxophone playing the opening theme. Barbara was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1997 and thought she would have to abandon playing, so she made the decision to return to her early love and embark on a composing career. However, the continually evolving advances in treatments have meant that as well as continuing to write she has also carried on performing; her latest albums are Never Say Goodbye (released 2007) featuring herself with her group Paraphernalia and the live double album "Live 05" featuring herself with her husband's group Colosseum. Barbara's classical compositions include works commissioned and played by ensembles such as the Apollo Saxophone Quartet (Three Quartets), the Goldberg Contemporary String Ensemble (Concerto No.1 for Saxophone Quartet and String Orchestra), Camerata Bern and the Rascher Saxophone Quartet (Concerto No.2 'Mirages' for Saxophone Quartet and String Orchestra), the Hanover Radio Symphony Orchestra (Concerto for 3 saxophones), Evelyn Glennie (Rhythms of the Gods), and the Medici String Quartet (the album Barbara Song featuring the music of Kurt Weil.) Choral works include Love Songs in Age, commissioned by Radio 3 and featuring the BBC Singers with the Medici String Quartet, based on the poetry of Philip Larkin, and broadcast live from the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the album Journey to a Destination Unknown, based on the poetry of Tagore and featuring the 100 voice choir Big Sky.
Barbara was awarded an MBE for services to music as musician and composer in The Queen's Birthday Honours List 1995.