Sally Whitwell’s debut recording Mad Rush, featuring solo piano music by Philip Glass, was a rare treat. In a market full of Romantic piano recital discs – invariably performed by musicians of the European school – Whitwell’s all-Glass program was refreshing, and earned her the 2011 Aria Award for Best Classical Album. A couple of albums and another Aria Award later, her latest offering, I Was Flying, is the first to feature all original songs and instrumental music. Now, Whitwell has proved herself to be as talented a composer as she is brilliant a recitalist.

Anybody lucky enough to have seen Whitwell perform live will be familiar with her warmth and intelligence, her musicality, and a certain indefinable kookiness. I Was Flying is all that. From the charming cutout birds on the cover, to the heartfelt dedication to her partner Glennda on the sleeve notes within, and to such dream-like compositions as ‘She Walks in Beauty’, the album is consistently enchanting. Soprano Alexandra Oomens, featured throughout the CD, is a beautiful interpreter of Whitwell’s music. While pure and agile, her voice has a distinctive richness. Simply put, behind the breezy exterior of this album is music with real heart.

Alexandra Mathew