October 5th is the release date for Annale Beechey long awaited debut album, entitled `Close Your Eyes´. The album has been released by SimG Records. Annalene Beechey has become a respected and established West End leading lady. Her credits include creating the role of Annette in the world premiere of Marguerite opposite Ruthie Henshall, WICKED, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, SWEENEY TODD 25TH ANNIVERSARY, LES MISERABLES, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, CAROUSEL,  and more recently Eliza in the Northern Sinfonia Concert of MY FAIR LADY opposite Anthony Andrews and under the baton of John Wilson.

For Annalene, releasing this album means a lot: "It´s very exciting for me to finally release my album. It has been mentioned to me many times over the years but until now never felt it was the right time. Now I feel like I have something to say". The idea of recording it came up a year ago, approximately, as the actress explains: "A year ago my husband, who had been pushing me for years to record an album, suggested we think seriously about it. And as soon as I started thinking about it, things just fell into place. I had just met Scott Alan, and had also just worked with someone I thought would be perfect to supervise the album, Peter White. I also had the support and encouragement of my husband Simon Greiff, who truly believed I should be making an album. I couldn´t have done this without him. He made it easy and just let me be creative whilst he dealt with all the legal stuff!". 

`Close your eyes´ features an enchanting selection of songs by leading British and American songwriters - Stephen Sondheim, William Finn, Stephen Schwartz, Scott Alan, Richard Taylor, Stiles&Drewe, and a previously unrecorded song by Grant Olding; and new arrangements by Peter White, Jonathan Williams and Richard Taylor. Beechey tells us about how she made the selection of all these songs: "It was difficult at first, at one point I had chosen 60 of my favourite potential songs! But then after meeting up with my Musical Supervisor Peter White, and singing through some songs I very quickly edited the list down. Now it seems there could have been no other 14 songs for my album.".

`Close your eyes´ has special collaborations of West End guests Julian Ovenden (MARGUERITE, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN), Rebecca Lock (AVENUE Q, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) and Simon Greiff (SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, SPAMALOT). Annalene Beechey feels lucky to have these collaborations: "I have loved working with them. Their involvement from choice of songs to actual recording has been wonderful. I respect each one as an artist and a friend (or husband in Simon´s case) and I really wanted the different energy and approach that having friends involved would bring. Simon pretty much chose our duet, Rebecca and I chose our song together and with Julian, I suggested the song as I felt it would highlight his amazing piano AND vocal talent. I am very grateful to them all for bringing their time and talents to my project".

`Close your eyes´ also has a special album foreword by acclaimed composer Scott Alan, Annalene Beechey will be one of the West End stars that will perform on the `Just Me... and Them: The Music of Scott Alan’ concerts that the American composer will offer at Leicester Square Theatre on October 11. Beechey thinks that Alan "writes some really beautiful melodies, but for me I feel he has an incredible ability to to write a lyric that strikes a chord in anyone’s heart. For example, you cannot listen to ´Goodnight´ without being totally drawn in to its lyric, even though it also has a stunning melody. Yet, his lyrics are not over-indulgent or saccharine. I added a second song of Scott´s just three weeks before I went into the studio because I simply had to sing it. I understood it, connected with it and wrote to him saying exactly that, along with ´please, please, please can I sing it on my album´... luckily he obliged!".

Annalene Beechey will be making a personal appearance at Dress Circle on Saturday 10th October at 12.30 p.m. She will be singing songs from her new album, Close Your Eyes. She will be joined by her special guest, internationally renowned composer and performer Scott Alan, who will accompany her on one of her songs. Annalene will then meet her fans and sign copies of her debut album.

`Close Your Eyes´ tracklist is:

1. No One Is Alone / Children Will Listen (Stephen Sondheim)
2. Lion Tamer (Stephen Schwartz)
3. River (Joni Mitchell) – with Julian Ovenden
4. Hannah’s Dream (Grant Olding) * previously unrecorded song
5. Doll On A Music Box (Sherman & Sherman)
6. Carrying A Torch (Stiles & Drewe)
7. The Promise (Tracy Chapman)
8. It’s Never That Easy / I’ve Been Here Before (Shire & Maltby, Jr) – with Rebecca Lock
9. Sailing (William Finn)
10. Nothing More (Scott Alan)
11. Perfect Day (Colin Towns)
12. What We Have (Richard Taylor)
13. If I Told You (Sklar & Beguelin) – with Simon Greiff
14. Always / Goodnight (Scott Alan)