Anthony Hopkins, the Oscar-winning actor now aged 88, has released his debut album on Decca, a collection of his own orchestral compositions performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The record, titled Life Is a Dream, reveals that the Welsh-born Hollywood star has been composing music throughout his life, and it draws heavily on his childhood in Margam, near Port Talbot, blending a cinematic Hollywood sensibility with Welsh musical roots.

The album features works such as the opening Fanfare and March, the Khachaturian-influenced Two Pieces for Orchestra, and My Fatherland, which arranges six traditional Welsh tunes, four sung in Welsh. Other pieces are personal tributes, including Stella Aria and Farewell My Love dedicated to his wife, and Tara, written for his niece, while 1947: Suite for Orchestra recalls a scorching childhood summer. Soloists Sergio Tiempo (piano) and Gregorio Nieto (cello) join the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Bach Choir, with the review praising the recording's craftsmanship and warm, accessible melodies.