A set of seven CDs, the first of two boxed sets that will ultimately comprise the Complete Works of Frederyk Chopin, has been recorded by 73-year old entrepreneur Sir Ernest Hall, founder and Chairman of Dean Clough in Halifax.
The launch of the CDs coincided with his public performance of Busoni?s Piano Concerto (op39) with the Sheffield Symphony Orchestra at the end of March. Sir Ernest, son of a Bolton mill worker and who attended the Royal Manchester College of Music from 1947-1951, has had a lifelong involvement with both music and commerce. He bought Dean Clough, then a derelict carpet mill, in 1983 and without any public subsidy transformed the site into the region?s premier cultural quarter. Today the building, which stretches over 1 km, is home to over 100 enterprises. It houses a theatre and nine galleries, and hosts a rolling programme of exhibitions and music events. A £5.8m project to restore a further part of the complex is due for completion this month. The CD set is available from the Design Shop at Dean Clough t: 01422 250250.