Max Richter has announced his new album, While the Flood Rages, alongside its meditative lead single, ‘Now We Can Sing’.
The British-German composer will release the album on October 16 through Decca Records. It marks his third collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGregor.
Co-commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Opera House, the project draws inspiration from Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, which imagines humanity rebuilding after a devastating pandemic. The 15-track, three-act album features ‘Now We Can Sing’ as its closing piece.
Richter began composing While the Flood Rages before the COVID-19 pandemic, although the global crisis delayed its development for several years. He conceived the record as a standalone work rather than a conventional soundtrack.
“I took the material apart and created a trajectory that makes sense just through listening,” Richter said. “It’s a different way to reach the same destination.”
The closing track can be heard in the embed below:
Richter was appointed a CBE in the 2026 New Year Honours in recognition of his contributions to British culture, advocacy and the wider community.
Other entertainment figures recognised in the honours list included Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo and Ellie Goulding.
Richter said he was “deeply grateful” for the honour, adding: “The opportunity to spend my life doing what I dreamed of doing when I was a child continues to be an immense privilege, and one I never take for granted.”
He was also named a music icon for this year’s National Album Day, alongside PinkPantheress and Spice Girls’ Melanie C.
Speaking about the recognition, Richter said: “Albums allow ideas the time and space to unfold. They invite a different kind of listening, one that allows for a deeper connection between artist and listener. That relationship is something I’ve always valued and why I’m glad to support National Album Day as an Album Champion.”
Having scored approximately 50 films, Richter recently composed the music for Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score.
The film explores the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, following the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet.
