Man who made album in memory of wife with top orchestra returns with new music

A man who created an album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) in memory of his wife has collaborated with them again for a second album about his childhood.

Paul Studer, 71, from York, previously recorded with the well-known orchestra to release his album, All My Love, which was written in memory of his wife, Diane, who died with bowel cancer on November 3 2022.

Mr Studer said he looked after his wife for 15 years while she lived with neuropathy, a condition affecting the nerves in the body’s extremities including hands and feet, before she was diagnosed with bowel cancer a year before she died.

The amateur singer paid tribute to his wife by creating an album and contacted the RPO last year, who were moved by his story and agreed to record his music, and now has helped him to create his second album, The Magic Slippers, which is about his childhood.

Speaking from Angel Studios in Islington, London where he recorded his new music, Mr Studer told the PA news agency: “It amazes me that an orchestra of this quality would make a record with me.

“I’m just an ordinary bloke. But not only have they done it once, they’ve done it twice. This is the second album. It’s quite amazing that they should agree to do that.”

Paul Studer, heartbroken by his wife’s death in 2022, wrote an album in memory of her (Ben Bauer/PA)

Mr Studer recalls using Google to search orchestras to help bring his album to life and was touched after a “very nice lady (at the RPO) answered the phone”.

“I started to tell her what I wanted to do, and I burst into tears. She said: ‘We will do anything we can to help,’ and they have done,” he said.

Mr Studer suffered a breakdown after losing his wife and admitted himself to Foss Park Hospital, a hospital providing support for people living with mental health issues, where he sought help.

However, he could not attend his wife’s funeral after he was told to stay at the hospital for six months, but through determination he wrote the album and created a “proper memorial service for her and (to) give her the send-off she deserved” on September 28 2023, which marked their 45th wedding anniversary.

He hopes the songs he wrote for Diane’s memorial service will provide some form of “comfort” for people who listen to it.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra agreed to record with Paul Studer after it was touched by his story about losing his wife to bowel cancer (Ben Bauer/PA)

“For the (songs) for the memorial service, it’s an ideal thing for a funeral those songs,” he explained.

“That means something to people that have lost somebody. It’s songs about loss. If I can give them some comfort with those songs, that will do for me.”

He added making a record is “something I’ve always wanted to do”, having written 110 songs over a period of around 50 years, which he said “drives me on” to continue releasing music.

“I’m not getting any younger. I’ve got to carry on, although it’s nerve-wracking,” he said.

“I am taking like a leap, I am nervous, but it’s just something I’ve got to do. It sort of drives me on.

“If I don’t do it now I’ll never do it.”

Mr Studer will record the rest of his album, The Magic Slippers, which is yet to be released.

All My Love is available to listen to on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.