West End performer Dominic Ferris collaborates with Dame Shirley Bassey on her new album

Best known for being one half of West End musical theatre duo Ferris & Milnes, pianist and musical director Dominic Ferris has most recently been working with Dame Shirley Bassey on her latest studio album, I Owe It All To You, which is now available on Decca Records.

Many of the piano tracks were recorded by Ferris and he also played piano for her vocal rehearsals. He has been hotfooting it from Monaco to London and Prague for rehearsals and orchestral recording sessions; no mean feat during a global pandemic! Dame Shirley’s vocals were then recorded in Italy, whilst the album was assembled and mixed in the UK.

Ferris said: “We spent several days working through dozens of songs, only a handful of which would make the final record. These early rehearsal stages are crucial in any album-making process as it’s important that the artist is completely confident with the musical direction that the record is taking. Tempo, key, song structure and musical style are all important factors to decide upon in these early stages so that the framework and orchestrations of each track can be built.

“I have always been a fan of Dame Shirley and so to finally play for her was a wonderful experience. Accompanying Dame Shirley on the piano was a fascinating process; she gives so much information subconsciously through her body language and breath, which allows the musical relationship to really gel and become much more organic. Each time we ran through a number, she would perform it differently - the way she felt it at that point in time - so as an accompanist, one had to be focused and concentrate the entire time.” 

Produced by Nick Patrick, Dame Shirley views this album as her “grand finale” and features a varied track list including some never-before-hears covers and original music.

Ferris & Milnes made their debut at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in Stephen Sondheim’s 85th Birthday gala, where they performed their signature mash-up medley, ‘33 Sondheim Numbers In 5 Minutes’. Their debut West End show played at Ambassadors Theatre and they have been seen annually at West End LIVE in Trafalgar Square. Ferris & Milnes’ Gershwin mash-up premiered at the Rose Theater, Lincoln Center, New York. Earlier this year they created We’ll Meet Again, a morale-boosting music film dedicated to the theatre industry featuring the late Dame Vera Lynn and many West End stars. 

Dominic is currently broadcasting a series of free live piano request shows from his home, including collaborations with Classic FM, Official London Theatre and Pianist Magazine.

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