Posted by simonkatan.
Sans Pareil Singers with Simon Katan
(Mentored by Fraser Trainer)
Apr
8
Posted by simonkatan.
Last night was a tough session. I brought a series of more developed sketches of Novelty, but I still had things I wanted to try out before committing myself to a final version of the piece. Andy spent a fair amount of time working on the rhythms with the choir with great results. Everyone made a valiant effort at realising my sketch involving sforzandos on individual syllables set against a dense texture on middle C, but there were several problems …
Mar
25
Posted by simonkatan.
Once again I’m on the train back from Darlington from a session with the Sans Pareil Singers. I’ve made written a lot more material for the first three pieces since and also brought some ideas for the fourth piece Novelty this time. Cycloped is now working very well. I used a system of proportional notation which combined with the natural rhythm of the text and Andy’s expert conducting created some very tight and complex unison rhythms that otherwise would difficult …
Feb
4
Posted by simonkatan.
I’m just on the train heading back from Darlington to London after a very enjoyable and productive though slightly chilly rehearsal. As always the choir were warm and friendly but also open and receptive to ideas that must have seemed quite alien to them. They handled the extract from the first piece, Cycloped, better than I had hoped. All were comfortable with the idea of following natural speech rhythms as opposed to notated rhythms and a tight unison with some …
Jan
29
Posted by simonkatan.
I’ve been working for the last couple of days on some loose ideas to try out with Sans Pareil when I visit next week. I already decided upon the structure of the work and the text after two previous visits in October and December.
The choir is named after one of the five trains that entered the Rainhill Trials in 1829. The trials were arranged as an open contest that would decide which locomotive would work on the nearly completed …
Oct
29
Posted by Sound and Music.
Over the course of the next year you can follow the composers and the amateur music groups they are collaborating with through this blog. You can focus on any particular partnership by selecting one of the six ‘Partnership Blogs’ located to the right hand column, or just see all of them through the front page. We hope you enjoy the site, the work that’s produced and we look forward to reading your comments!
