The Company announced on 21 September 2010, that Patricia Hammond signed an exclusive recording, publishing and management contract with the Company for an initial term of 5 years, renewable with the consent of both parties.

Patricia Hammond is British-Canadian mezzo-soprano, who studied singing in Canada and Switzerland before moving to the UK in 2001. She has appeared as an oratorio soloist in Europe and North America, as well as London’s Queen Elizabeth and Royal Festival Halls under Ivan Fischer and Sir Simon Rattle with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and recently performed in Geneva’s Victoria Hall as part of the Fête de la Musique. In opera, Patricia has appeared at the Wexford Festival, Covent Garden’s Linbury Theatre and the Herodus Atticus Theatre in Athens. She has been featured on BBC Radio 3 and BBC4 Television, and Radio 4’s “Midweek” with Libby Purves in April 2010. “Le Charme”, her CD of French song, was Editor’s Choice in the American Record Guide in 2007, and she has just released “One Day When We Were Young” on a Sony compilation of nostalgic favourites. In addition to her work in classical music, she is a fervent researcher of popular songs from bygone eras, and sings with the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, one of the UK’s best 1930s-style dance bands.

Her recently released CD ‘Our Lovely Day’ has been described by Sir Michael Parkinson as “a music box of vintage treasures beautifully performed by a remarkable woman”.

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for this announcement.

Released 23.10.11 – Buy now!

Revivals and longing for things past are everywhere, from Downton Abbey to knitting circles, vintage clothes, home baking, even sweet-shops; nostalgia for things from the past is flourishing around Britain.

Patricia Hammond has always loved all things old, particularly people and particularly songs.

By night, Patricia buries herself deep into the musty hovels of Soho and East London to perform with speakeasy-style retro bands. By day she sings in hospitals, hospices, care homes and at tea parties for disability groups. Always she sings her beloved songs from the 1840’s through to the 1950’s, accompanied by her Lovely Parlour Band, presenting the music in the most authentic way.

Mezzo Soprano Patricia has been working with Music in Hospitals, Magic Me and Lost Chord for over a decade, trying out hundreds of songs in front of those who knew them first. The effect of these songs can be nothing short of miraculous, like the time a man in Wales suddenly started singing along to ‘Yours,’ having not spoken a word for six years. Or the lady stroke victim who opened her eyes for the first time and formed her lips to the words ‘Always’.

Then there’s a whole other crowd who’ve never heard these songs before, denizens of the retro clubs that are springing up everywhere. As a burlesque dancer recently said to Patricia, “You’re like an old record without the scratches”, a compliment indeed.

Patricia’s new 4-track EP entitled ‘‘A Nice Cup of Tea” will be released on October 23rd 2011. Signalling a glorious renaissance of songs which have probably been playing in the background all your life: ‘A Nice Cup of Tea’, ‘Let Him Go, Let Him Tarry’, ‘The Honeysuckle And The Bee’ and ‘We’ll Gather Lilacs’. These songs haven’t been recorded for years but they’ve stayed alive in the national memory simply because they’re too good to die away, they’re just waiting to burst into life again.

Classically trained and a renowned oratorio soloist, Patricia is brilliantly impossible to categorise. She has sung at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Festival Hall under Ivan Fischer and Sir Simon Rattle, performed in a drag act, and in 2002 released an album of French Salon Songs. She loves vintage clothes, once describing herself as dressing ‘like a cast-off Edwardian royal mistress’ and vintage music. She adores Handel, Vaughan Williams and ragtime, new works and old songs, but most of all she loves singing to an audience.

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, put the kettle on, put Patricia Hammond’s ‘Nice Cup of Tea’ EP through your speakers and enjoy a little nostalgia.

“Care homes for the elderly are a notoriously tough gig, and entertainers who do the circuit can be met with anything from heartbreaking, helpless passivity to heckling and walk-outs. But every so often, the singer Patricia Hammond reveals, a miracle makes it all worthwhile.” – Daily Telegraph

Track List:

1. A Nice Cup of Tea – This song will be remembered as a jingle for a 1970s tea advert but was a lovely little number from the 1930s made famous by Binnie Hale. Patricia found the sheet music at Oxfam. The arrangement involves spoons, glockenspiel, a ukulele, a kazoo and a whistling chorus.
2. Let Him Go, Let Him Tarry – An Irish folk-song, sung by the actress Jean Simmons in the classic film “The Way to the Stars”, one of the greatest British War films ever made. This version has a spontaneous barberhop-quartet singalong.
3. The Honeysuckle and the Bee – The hit song from a 1901 show at the Vaudeville Theatre entitled Bluebell in Fairyland. One of Patricia’s most-requested numbers.
4. We’ll Gather Lilacs – Ivor Novello wrote this for his show Perchance To Dream in 1945, and here it’s given an intimate, chamber arrangement to reflect the hope in its lyrics.

If you enjoyed A Nice Cup of Tea why not pre-order Patricia’s upcoming album Our Lovely Day.

The Directors of Imperial Music & Media Plc, the PLUS quoted music talent investment company are pleased to announce that the band, Skinny Lister has signed a 360 degree deal (multiple rights deal including recording, publishing, live and merchandise) with the Company for one album with an option to licence a second album.

Skinny Lister intend to release their first single Rollin’ Over in early September 2011. Skinny Lister have performed at various festivals including Glastonbury, and Bestival and will play at approximately 50 festivals this summer.The single is taken from their forthcoming as yet untitled debut album, recorded in Snowdonia with producer David Wrench (Bat for Lashes, James Yorkston). Jack Wills, the UK fashion brand, used a preview of Rollin’ Over for their summer campaign in the UK and US online and in-store commercial / promotion.

Skinny Lister’s infectious melodies and good time songs such as Plough & Orion, Colours and Kite Song have already pricked the most discernible of ears including, 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson’s ‘BBC Introducing’, who championed the band’s fledgling single release, December.

The Independent summed up the Skinny Lister sound with “It’s really quite lovely music – tunes to soundtrack a day spent relaxing’, whilst NME Radio hailed it ‘Bruisingly pleasant stuff’’, and respected online music site Drowned in Sound described the band as ‘Heartfeltedly glorious, somewhere between the Arcade Fire and Los Campesinos.’

Nathan Graves, Chief Executive of Imperial Music & Media Plc commented ‘We are delighted to have signed Skinny Lister, a band that I have been following for over a year. We will start immediately on their debut album release and PR campaign.’

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for this announcement.

The Directors of Imperial Music & Media Plc, the PLUS quoted music talent investment company are pleased to announce that Patricia Hammond has signed an exclusive recording, publishing and management contract with the Company for an initial term of 5 years, renewable with the consent of both parties.

British-Canadian mezzo-soprano Patricia Hammond studied singing in Canada and Switzerland before moving to the UK in 2001. She has appeared as an oratorio soloist in Europe and North America, as well as London’s Queen Elizabeth and Royal Festival Halls under Ivan Fischer and Sir Simon Rattle with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and recently performed in Geneva’s Victoria Hall as
part of the Fête de la Musique. In opera Patricia has appeared at the Wexford Festival, Covent Garden’s Linbury Theatre and the Herodus Atticus Theatre in Athens. She has been featured on BBC Radio 3 and BBC4 Television, and Radio 4’s “Midweek” with Libby Purves in April 2010. “Le Charme”, her CD of French song, was Editor’s Choice in the American Record Guide in 2007, and she has just released “One Day When We Were Young” on a Sony compilation of nostalgic favourites Down Memory Lane.

In addition to her work in classical music, she is a fervent researcher of popular songs from bygone eras, and sings with the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, one of the UK’s best 1930s-style dance bands.

Nathan Graves, Chief Executive of Imperial Music & Media Plc commented ‘We are delighted to have signed Patricia Hammond and will start immediately on her debut album and PR campaign’.

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for this announcement.