Valentine Court is the debut album from Rich Batsford - a 'contemporary pianist virtuoso' Line of Best Fit This music is calming and inspiring, accessible and involving, melodic and harmonic, structured and free flowing, complex and minimalist, contemporary and timeless. The album maintains an overall meditative and almost spiritual tone, but within that framework offers a range of powerful moods and emotions, with moments of near stillness and exciting builds towards powerful crescendos. Extensive use of the sustain pedal and a warm tonality create ongoing swathes of sound which draw the listener in and aims to transform their experience. "Batsford created a spectral ambience which made him stand out from other composers. Utterly spell-binding." Birmingham Post Drawing on a wide variety of influences from Brian Wilson to Thomas Tallis, Eric Satie to Breakbeat, the result ends up somewhere where Keith Jarrett and Michael Nyman might meet to chill out. "his music displays amazing beauty' Birmingham Mail 'somewhere between Esbjorn Svensson and Erik Satie, it's very easy to enjoy' Mixmaster Morris 'Pianist Richard Batsford mesmerised the audience with beautiful arpeggiated soundscapes' What's On in Brum 'Very meditative, very seductive ambient piano work" Robin Valk, Radio to Go 'The truly wonderful composer pianist' The Stirrer 'one of our favourites, who is musically expressive .. will certainly inspire you' Night Times 'really is a great album - you need to check out his stuff if you're into classical music' Tom Belte, Rhubarb Radio 'Soothing, meditative piano music ... ripplingly calm' Mike Davies, Brumbeat 'a perfect accompaniment for candelit relaxation ... combining unobtrusive, soothing textures and hypnotic, complex rhythms' Brumnotes.