Nicholas Newton on the Evolution of Havens

From reimagining orchestral arrangements to discovering new possibilities through other musicians, composer Nicholas Newton reflects on the creative life of Havens, his debut album, and the experiences that followed.

Swindon composer Nicholas Newton released Havens, his debut album of orchestral and choral music, in 2023. In 2026, “The Blossom and the Mountain” received a Best of Pangea award in Contemporary Classical at the InterContinental Music Awards (ICMA).

In this interview, Newton discusses his approach to composing and orchestration. He also reflects on the musicians, performances and interpretations that have opened new possibilities for his music.

How did Cheng Yu’s vocals influence “The Blossom and the Mountain”?

Cheng Yu’s primary instrument is the Pipa rather than her voice, so I think it helped her vocalisations that she’d already recorded the Pipa part for the song. I’d asked Cheng to use a Chinese folk sound in her improvised vocals.

When reviewing the 4 takes, I gave a rating to each sung phrase based on the confidence of the delivery and how well it complemented the mood of the song in that moment. But I also kept in mind that each phrase could be moved around in the song if it would fit better somewhere else.

Based on the emotion that Cheng delivered in her voice I ended up feeling a greater emotional connection to the music underneath.

How did you and Alexander White develop the orchestration?

My working method with Alex was to let him create orchestrations for the first demo based on my original composition and some general guidance on the mood and energy I wanted. Once done, I would review the demo and provide online feedback for the next draft.

I recall wanting The Blossom and the Mountain to build to a big symphonic sound in the middle of the piece, which Alex was a little apprehensive about achieving, but when he did tackle it he pulled it off brilliantly. Later on I composed an additional solo cello line for this middle section, which we implemented into the demo in person.

What did Wang Xiao bring to the erhu performance?

Prior to the recording session with the Chinese instruments I had never heard any of them played live. The erhu was written to be the lead instrument for the principal melody of the song, including a delicate solo bridge after the symphonic section.

I remember the very first take with Wang Xiao, her erhu was instantly adding flourishes to the notes as written. She slides between the notes which creates a much more emotive sound.

For the erhu solo section, Wang suggested moving the lower part of the refrain up by one octave, and now I can’t imagine it being played any other way.

Why did “Autumn” need another studio version?

As I’m sure most artists have found, knowing when a song has reached its full potential is very difficult, and the sense of that potential can also shift over time. In the case of Autumn, it was one of only 3 tracks on Havens for which I’d written lyrics, but the album version was envisioned as a choral piece.

Hearing Mary-Kate Miller perform the soloist version led me to see the potential of enhancing the studio recording to be soloist led, with the choir supporting.

So we went back to the studio 2 or 3 more times, recording Mary-Kate’s lead vocals, additional cello parts and new choral backing, each time adding a bit more (after previously thinking it was finished!). Then there was finally a moment when the new version felt fully cohesive and ready to release.

How did “Woodland Shadow” influence “Woodland Rain”?

When we discussed the idea we both agreed that the best candidate from Havens for a remix would be Woodland Rain, due to its sombre energy and forest motifs.

I passed the track over with very little in terms of a brief. I wanted to see what Monelise would create based on her own feelings on the track, and without constraints.

Once the first demo was done, I really loved the soundscape and elements she’d added, and we then began to collaborate more closely on the structure and emphasis in the mix. The richness of the additional layers in Woodland Shadow led to me realising that I could write more variation into the original, which I actually then did for Woodland Rain performed live at Havens in Concert.

What surprised you at Havens in Concert?

We had only a single rehearsal session for Havens in Concert, during the afternoon of the same day. This was the first time Havens was performed with a full orchestra, and a conductor rather than a click track, and in my inexperience I was directly comparing the rehearsals against the studio recordings I knew so well.

I only understood afterwards, when beginning to mix the concert audio, that the tempo choices were the conductor’s skill and experience at making the pieces more dynamic in a live setting. In particular, there are several tracks where the tempo is slower in certain sections, which does change the mood compared to the original, but actually in a way that enhances it.

The film of Havens in Concert is due to be released in 2027 with a Dolby Atmos audio mix.

How did Kathleen Stevenson reinterpret “The Blossom and the Mountain”?

When first composing the melody, way back in the early 2000s, I imagined a more literal, descriptive interpretation of the piece, reflected in my initial title – “The Changing Seasons of the East”.

“The Blossom and the Mountain” seemed ideal, though it was still descriptive rather than symbolic. The evolution of a strong emotional core to the song continued once Cheng Yu’s vocalisations were incorporated.

However it was Kathleen’s imagination and storytelling skill that elevated the song to the symbolic power of the music video, as I had left the vision and concept entirely to her.

I could never have imagined turning the title into characters, Sakura and Fuji, and using their fleeting pairing once a year to tell a very human story of love and loss. This truly shows the importance of collaboration and not being tied to one vision of your art.

What did your 2026 ICMA award mean to you?

This was my first award in a dedicated music competition, so it was an extremely special moment, and one I never could have imagined when I began the long journey of creating the album back in 2021.

At that time it felt like having an album to my name would be a life’s dream fulfilled, and would likely be the end of the journey. However I was already hooked by the time the album was finished – I couldn’t just stop there – and the unforgettable experiences have continued since.

So thank you to ICMA for recognising artists from across the world, even ones who have started small. Also for this opportunity to discuss the creative process of someone who still has so much to learn.