Sir Anthony Hopkins signs Decca deal, releases debut single

Acclaimed actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has launched a new chapter in his artistic career at the age of 88, releasing his debut classical single and signing a recording contract with Decca Classics. His first album of orchestral compositions, titled "Life Is a Dream," is scheduled for release on August 21.

The first single, "Bracken Road," was released on Friday, July 10. The piece is part of Hopkins's "1947 Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra" and is performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Grammy Award-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The label described the work as a nostalgic musical portrait inspired by the actor's childhood memories of Margam in South Wales, evoking the streets, meadows, farmland, and mountains surrounding his family home in the 1940s. Hopkins originally composed the piece in 1963 while working as a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse.

In a statement, Hopkins reflected on his lifelong passion for music. "Music was my first desire, my first wish," he said. "I've been composing music all my life. Some of these pieces have lived with me for decades and I still find myself returning to them." He called signing with Decca "the honor of a...