Well we’ve had the world premiere and I think we all enjoyed it, orchestra and audience.
When we all arrived at 5pm for the run through, the BBC had already set up their equipment and were all ready to go.  Nina arrived and we went through the piece and she heard it in its entirety for the first time.  Now normally when you get comments on playing they are about making sure that you all play in time with each other.  …

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Adopt-a-Composer is now in its 10th year! This time around, we are opening up the applications and giving two of the six places to composers who are not on Sound and Music’s Shortlist, and two groups who are not Making Music members.
If you’re a composer and would be interested in taking part, take a look at Sound and Music’s Opportunites page for information on how to apply. If you’re part of an ensemble that would like to apply, click here …

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The Colinton Orchestra gave a fantastic performance of my piece on 8 May to a near-capacity audience. I was really impressed with the results of their hard work over several months, their focus and concentration, their interpretation of the music, and their approach to new playing techniques. So, a huge THANK YOU to everyone involved: players, organisers, supporters, Hector, and Lynda.
Below are extracts from my programme note:
My idea for the piece from quite early on in the process was to …

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Our partnership between Paul Fretwell, SARO and Skyswood Primary School, St Albans is now in full swing. Paul’s piece “Water Music” is comprised on 8 short movements on the theme of water some for orchestra, some with orchestra and school groups and one movement for the school alone. Their music teacher – Janet Bird – and a member of SARO has been getting the kids to make music for ‘By the Sea’. We have had two good …

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The choir were sounding great this Sunday 2nd! I felt they were really capturing the spirit of the piece and doing a great job of  negotiating the changes of tempo and mood within the piece. The programme notes for this Sundays performance along with the poem are below and I am greatly looking forward to hearing the choir in full voice in what will should be a very entertaining evening of music from Bernstein and Elgar amongst others. Now I …

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Well, it doesn’t seem long since we had the first rehearsal and now it’s our last before the concert and our world premiere.  Nina is coming tonight and will have bound copies of the music, and we’ll be able to ask any last minute questions.  The BBC Radio 3 man was at the venue this afternoon and we’ll find out what is needed  for Saturday.  The programmes are all printed, helpers have been allocated their tasks and the refreshments are in …

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I’m off to Glasgow tomorrow for another rehearsal and looking forward to hearing the choir again. I hope I’ve got the tempi markings right this time so that the contrast between sections is clear. It will also make the faster sections more comfortable to sing.
The months have flown by and it’s strange to be approaching the end of the project. I am always uplifted by the commitment of the choir and I’m hoping that the piece will fit in well …

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It was great to visit the rehearsal on the 2nd March and apologies for not writing sooner.
The choir’s enthusiasm for the project really is greatly appreciated and it is wonderful for me to hear sections of the piece sung so well. I hope I have not written anything too hard to sing; unnecessary complexity should always be avoided and I do strive to do this. I appreciate that 12/8 compound time looks complex to the eye but I hope that …

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In a little over a week we will have two performances from Adopt-a-Composer partnerships in quick succession:
On Saturday 8th May, Colinton Amatuer Orchestral Society will be performing at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh. Along with Holst’s Jupiter and Haydn’s Symphony No.104, the concert will feature the première performance of Nina’s piece for the group, A Book of Walks. It starts at 7.30 and ticklets are £5.00, or £3.00 for students.
And on Sunday 9th May, Glasgow Lyric Choir RSAMD Concert Hall, Glasgow. As …

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I promised the orchestra I would post some links to music I like/am influenced by, so here it is:
 
Many of these composers exploit the full sonic potential of instruments, including some unorthodox playing techniques. I’ve also included some pieces that employ found sounds, or objects that we wouldn’t normally consider to be musical instruments that make sounds. Feel free to respond to anything you hear by adding comments. I can also try to answer any questions you may have.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BHzFggEGS4
Lachenmann – …

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