Guy Garvey collaborates with composer Craig Armstrong on enchanting track Cornflower (Marelle) - exclusive premiere

What happens if you cross one of the world's most sought-after and respected composers with Elbow's frontman?

A collaboration that proves to be both stunningly simple and enchanting.

The people in question are Guy Garvey and composer Craig Armstrong, whose film scores include Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, Love Actually and The Great Gatsby.

The track is Cornflower (Marelle), which award-winning Scottish composer Armstrong originally wrote for solo piano and 12 strings. It has now been reimagined with Garvey adding his distinctive voice and moving lyrics to the composition.

“When the first composer on the moon says ‘wanna do something’, you immediately say YEAH!” says Garvey of the collaboration.

“The memory in the lyrics was something I’ve wanted to write for ages, and it fitted perfectly over the piece without any editing. I honestly believe the words and the music were meant to be married.”

Armstrong adds: “Having been a great admirer of Guy Garvey and Elbow’s music for some time, I was really excited that Guy had chosen Marelle to write a song to.

“His voice is so wonderful and writing a love song seemed to connect with the accompanying music. It was really a special gift.”

Cornflower (Marelle) will be released as a single, while the original instrumental track, Marelle, is available as part of Armstrong’s forthcoming album Sun on You.

Sun on You marks a bold new chapter in Craig Armstrong’s fascinating career.

The album, which was recorded at Air Studios, is a collection of original works for piano and strings, composed and performed by Armstrong on piano – accompanied by the Scottish Ensemble, the UK’s leading string orchestra.

Their combined musicianship offers a moment of calm in today's fast-paced world, an escape into a gentle, peaceful and uplifting soundscape, if you will.

Garvey and Armstrong will perform the song together live for the first time at a show at Union Chapel in London on Tuesday 11 September.

On that night the pair will also be joined by Jerry Burns, Katie O, Hero Fisher, the London Contemporary Orchestra and conductor Robert Ames for a performance of tracks from the new album, alongside a showcase of pieces from throughout Armstrong's diverse career.

A Royal Academy of Music graduate, Armstrong’s classical commissions have included pieces for the London Sinfonietta, St Martin in the Fields, Organ Reframed, RSNO, Scottish Ensemble and the award-winning The Lady from the Sea opera for Scottish Opera in 2012.

Armstrong has scored over 25 movies since 1996, including soundtracks from both independent and Hollywood cinema – from Peter Mullan’s directorial debut The Close Trilogy to the Bafta, Ivor Novello and Golden Globe-winning award scores for Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo +Juliet and Moulin Rouge! to Love Actually, the biopic Ray, Oliver Stone's World Trade Centre, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and The Incredible Hulk.

As well as these compositions, Armstrong has also collaborated with a wide range of musicians, such as Madonna, U2, Massive Attack, Mogwai and Luciano Pavarotti, on tracks and remixes.

Armstrong has also released successful solo albums, The Space Between Us and It’s Nearly Tomorrow (2016).

Armstrong is recognised as a pioneer in his art and was awarded an OBE for services to the music industry in 2010. In 2016, he received the Henry Mancini Award from the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

Cornflower (Marelle) is out on Decca Records on 24th August. The album Sun on You is released on 7th September