Sodajerker is a songwriting team from Liverpool in the United Kingdom. Founded by co-writers Simon Barber and Brian O’Connor, Sodajerker is the creative outlet for two friends raised on the celebrated songbooks of such luminaries as Lennon and McCartney, Bacharach and David, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Goffin and King and The Chic Organisation.

Simon and Brian talk to five-time Ivor Novello winning songwriter, composer, conductor, arranger and producer Mike Batt about his diverse career including projects like The Wombles, The Hunting of the Snark and the writing of hit songs like ‘Bright Eyes’ (from Watership Down) and ‘The Closest Thing to Crazy’ (Katie Melua).

Listen here.
 
 
"We might not have been able to coax any words out of The Wombles themselves, but we did have a long chat with Mike Batt – the man who wrote their surprisingly sophisticated songs and secretly sang lead vocals on their hits (ten in two years!). We had quite a lot to ask him about, and he had quite a lot to say, so this is a bit long – but it’s all killer no filler...". Read the interview here.
 
 
 
Last night Dramatico Entertainment co-produced, with English National Ballet, a stunning and diverse theatre performance for Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke Of Edinburgh and their guests which took place at Buckingham Palace.

Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh recognised the importance of young people in the Performing Arts in the United Kingdom, by holding a Reception at Buckingham Palace.

More than 450 guests, including Dame Helen Mirren and Michael McIntyre, arrived at the Grand Entrance, and were greeted by Her Majesty and His Royal Highness in the White Drawing Room before proceeding to the Ballroom for this theatre performance which was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The performance featured distinguished artists sharing the stage with rising stars who are pursuing excellence in their chosen field. The performance presented a light-hearted exploration of Shakespeare’s story and feature mentor artists such as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne Reid MBE, Bryony Hannah and Amy Robbins, in addition to rising stars such as actors Tamsin Egerton and Daniel Kaluuya, singers Rumer and Sara-Jane Skeete and dance groups Flawless and Alleviate.

The show was conceived by Justin Way (Royal Opera House), Mike Batt and Luc Mollinger, a young freelance associate director. Batt explains: “We were asked to produce a thirty minute entertainment in the Ballroom of the Palace as a focal point for the reception. We tried to be very inclusive, using organisations such as RSC, National Youth Music Theatre and others who promote young talent."

Batt continues “We drew from Tchaikovsky (Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture), Prokofiev (Ballet) and Bernstein (West Side Story). The best applause of the night was for a performance of a new piece (written by DJ Ironik and myself) entitled Romeo’s Dream which was danced by Flawless and Alleviate, rapped by DJ Ironik and sung by Sara-Jane Skeete. It was nothing short of sensational. The show closed with a performance by Rumer, of the Taylor Swift song ‘Love Story’, and we were delighted to also work with a new young Symphony Orchestra, the Docklands Sinfonia.”

Representatives of many institutions and charities who support the performing arts industry in the United Kingdom were in attendance, including organisations with a long history of Royal patronage such as English National Ballet, Royal College of Dramatic Art and National Youth Music Theatre.

Batt reports that “after the performance The Queen said to me that she was very impressed with the diversity of the show, and the fact that we had managed to include so many styles and people from all walks of life”.
 
 
 
Mike discusses "Copyright and what past and proposed changes to intellectual propertly right have on developing creative businesses" with Peter Day on the BBC Radio 4 show "In Business".

Transmission info: 19th May 2011 at 20.30 and repeated on 22nd May 2011 at 21.30

Listen online here.
 




click here for Music MattersMusic Matters is a collective of people across the music industry, including artists, retailers, songwriters, labels and managers, formed to remind listeners of the significance and value of music.

We all know that music is important. But with music more available than ever before, it’s worth reminding ourselves of that fact. It’s easy to forget about the extraordinary lengths that performers, songwriters and musicians can go to record their songs, and the powerful effect music has on each and every one of us.

We believe it is important to support the artists and all those involved in making incredible music by choosing to consume music in an ethical way, and that’s why we’ve set up Music Matters.

The Music Matters trust mark will act as a guide for music fans and help differentiate legal music services from illegal ones. Click here for a list of all supporting sites and look for the Music Matters trust mark when choosing new music. When you choose sites carrying the trustmark you can be sure the site is legal and the copyright holders are paid for their creative work.

The Music Matters website features a series of short films highlighting the importance of music:






Mike Batt will be a guest on the show "Loose Ends" with Clive Anderson.
The programme broadcast on Saturday 13th March from1815-1900 on BBC Radio 4.
Listen again online here until 20th March.
  
   
 

To celebrate 40 years of activity as a successful singer, songwriter, arranger, conductor and producer, Mike Batt is releasing a comprehensive collection of his work as an artist, in the form of "The Mike Batt Music Cube". The cube contains a total of 16 discs, presented as eight double albums, and is intended as a collector's edition with contents ranging from the recently successful chart album "A Songwriter's Tale" right back through the six solo albums he made for Sony between the 70s and 90s. With the exception of a few, these double albums, at present, are exclusive to The Mike Batt Music Cube.

A highlight of the collection is a new compilation, "The Orinoco Kid", containing Batt's own selection of early singles and Wombles curios. Other rare items featured in “The Cube” are "Rapid Eye Movements", originally a double album made by Batt for Chrysalis in the early 80s under the pseudonym “Autopilot”. This adventurous electronic project disappeared off the radar fairly soon after its release but has been much requested by fans ever since.

Release date - December 7th 2009. Click here for full details and read Music Week's announcement of the release here.

Pre-order now for the special price of £56.79
 Amazon
 




You can now buy Mike Batt CDs at the new official Dramatico online store here, as well as CDs, DVDs, clothing and accessories from other Dramatico artists.


 
Voices In The DarkA new magic audiovisual dimension in 360° video. Enter a magical world. Dare to believe your eyes. Nothing here is just what it seems at first glance: a postcard as a portal to a lost city, tarot cards which come to life or floating ballet dancers in virtual worlds. A symphony of sounds, pictures and emotions takes you away to a mysterious universe.

Mike Batt has, together with Terry Rudat and Mindgames Productions, gathered a team of superb, creative 3D designers, illustrators, dancers and video artists to visualise his epic musical work in spectacular visual worlds. VOICES IN THE DARK is an ambitious project which Mike Batt himself described as a “music-video-art-film installation”. HD Realfilm meets 3D animation, 2D drawings and music. It seems that the planetarium sky is populated by floating ballet dancers and diving models here.

Visit the VOICES IN THE DARK website.
 
ErgoThis is an exciting novel written by Mike Batt - telling the story of Ergo, a slug of medium size, who likes George Formby records and falls in love with a fairy called Elsie (known to him as 'Little Else').

Ergo is sure that their contrasting shapes will be a bar to their becoming romantically entwined...and he already has doubts as to whether he'll ever play the piano, as he has no hands. He becomes a great General, recruiting an army to fight against the Pigfrogs (who only come out at Christmas, to squash you just for fun - they don't even need the meat).

The book is not yet published, but already there are plans for a radio series and a concept album...

Visit the Ergo website here to track the project's progress.