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 …

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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 …

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So we’ve made it to the exciting phase of the project: trying out the music.
I visited the orchestra on February 9th and presented them with two movements or ‘chapters’ of my piece A book of walks.
Chapter 1, entitled Woven footsteps is mainly concerned with texture – a texture inspired by the sound of footsteps in a busy street (unsynchronised, percussive, varied in timbre). Some of the players wrote about city walks (or walks that began in a busy city and …

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‘The anticipation of having our first glimpse of Nina’s composition set the orchestra buzzing. Nina smiled broadly, she is very personable, and we started off with some exercises to prepare us for a most unusual set of musical instructions. The first ‘chapter’ of the work was like nothing we had ever seen or heard before. There was the odd note here and there to be played within a five second bar but nowhere specific until chapter 2 came along where …

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Dear All in Finchley,
I wanted to send my greetings from Taiwan.  I’ve brought my sketches for your piece with me, and while I’m here, spending a semester at National Taiwan University in Taipei, I’ll be working on it.  I’ve told David I’ll be sending some things back now and then, so watch this space.  I have another blog about my time in Taiwan, if your curious, at
http://georgeholloway.wordpress.com
Best wishes for a good season of concerts,
George

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Well, we got the first two chapters of our ‘Book of Walks’.  It is definitely, as promised by Hector, unlike anything we have ever played before.  I had been given a wee look at the score before we were introduced to the music and I really wondered how we were going to cope with it.  Despite some initial misgivings about what might happen to my viola when I was attempting some of Nina’s effects I found it strangely liberating to …

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Managed to send the 2nd draft of the piece on 1/2/10. Hopefully the CD recordings of vocal lines are helping with the learning of the piece and so far feedback has been positive and helpful with much appreciated advice from Evelyn and Steve. I am attending a rehearsal on 2nd March with David and this will give me a clearer idea of how the piece is evolving and what I need to do so strengthen sections. It’s always an ongoing …

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It’s taken me a while to get writing on here, so I could write a lot about what’s happened so far– I’ll try to keep it brief!
Winter 2009:  I’m so pleased I was paired with the Finchley groups, as they are wonderful players/singers, with admirably high standards.  I was impressed by the seriousness and concentration with which they rehearse under David Lardi; they sight-read and absorb new music extremely well; the sound of both groups is fantastic.  I simply can’t …

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Next Tuesday – 9 February – we get first sight of the music that Nina is composing for us.  She and David are visiting again, along with Camina Brown our Making Music visitor, and we will go through what she has written for us so far.  Hector has a copy of the score just now and has told us that it will be unlike anything we have ever played before (intriguing!).  Nina is going to go through some of it …

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George came along to a choir rehearsal last Tuesday and brought the first sketch of the “Finchley Cantata” (working title) which we found fairly challenging but very singable.  The “singability”  is very important as FCC has a lot of strong individual singers and a rich sound, and George was excited about being able to take advantage of that.  Not every member was at this rehearsal and we were somewhat tentative while sight-reading the piece but even so, it sounded impressive.  There were some …

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