Magenta announce ambitious new orchestral album The White Witch

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Magenta will release their latest album The White Witch - A Symphonic Trilogy, in October

Magenta
(Image credit: Press)

Welsh prog rockers Magenta have announced they will release their latest album, The White Witch - A Symphonic Trilogy, will be released through Tigermoth Records on October 31. You can watch a short video teaser for the new album below.

The fully orchestrated work has been arranged by keyboard player Robert Reed and musically and thematically completes the trilogy of songs that started back with the epic track The White Witch from the debut Revolutions album and then Lust from 2004's Seven. The new album completely reworks these two tracks and has a majestic third track that completes this major work.

“I’ve always loved the idea and challenge of doing a fully orchestrated album," explains Reed. "Composers like John Barry, John Williams and Ennio Morricone have been massive influences on my work, and it was great to be able to bring shades of their influence into this album. Magenta’s music has always had symphonic overtones, and this was an opportunity to blend Tina’s voice and Chris Fry’s classical guitar training with my orchestral arrangements. It was a great challenge to get a sense of groove and dynamics using orchestral instruments only, but it’s been a great learning curve to understand this style of music. I’m really proud of the results."

“For a long time I’ve had an ambition to sing with a full orchestra, and when Rob suggested this I was over the moon," adds singer Christina Booth. "Hearing all these instruments in the headphones and be able to sign in amongst them was an amazing experience. Next up is the ambition to perform it live with the full orchestra. That would be unbelievable."

The White Witch - A Symphonic Trilogy has been produced and mixed by Robert Reed with front cover artwork by Björn Gooßes | killustrations.com. You can view the new album artwork and tracklisting below.

Magenta embark on a short run of English and Welsh dates in October with support from Tiger Moth Tales.

Magenta/Tiger Moth Tales October dates:
Oct 21: Fletchling Trading Boundaries
Oct 22: Fletchling Trading Boundaries
Oct 23: Bilston The Robin
Oct 29: London Boston Music Rooms
Oct 30: Cardiff Yhe Globe

Rob Reed's reactivated Cyan will perform at this year's Summer's End Festival on October 16.

Pre-order The White Witch - A Symphonic Trilogy.

Magenta

(Image credit: Press)

Magenta: The White Witch - A Symphonic Trilogy
1. Part I -Sacrifice
2. Part II - Retribution
3. Part III - Survival

Jerry Ewing
Jerry Ewing

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.