COMPOSING NEWS
2011
New Year for choir and organ – selected by the John Armitage Memorial Trust for inclusion in their annual concert of new choral music, conducted by Nicholas Cleobury.
Sea, Shore and Tide, song cycle for mezzo-soprano and six instruments – selected by the London Schubert Players for inclusion in their 2011 programme, performed in London and Paris.
‘Slink’ from Night Thoughts – included in the Grade 5 Trinity Guildhall piano syllabus.
2012
Ultramarine for flute, cor anglais, bass clarinet, horn and bassoon – chosen by the Texas-based Madera Wind Quintet as one of their featured pieces in 2012–13, and included on their CD Five at Play.
2013
Powderham Variations for small organ was commissioned for the inauguration of the newly restored organ at Powderham Castle, Devon, with generous support from the Early Music Network.
2014
Commuter won the Big Bend Community Orchestra’s Composition Competition. The BBCO are based in Tallahassie, Florida, and Commuter was performed by them at their 20th Anniversary concert in April 2014, conducted by Shelby Chipman. With a further performance in 2015 by the EMG Symphony Orchestra, it has now been performed four times by three different amateur/semi-pro orchestras in Devon.
2016
Several overseas performances. In the USA, Liana Valente (soprano) continues to include my miniature song ‘On to the Beach’ in her programming.
Still Life, in a new version for five viola d’amore, was performed at the 18th international viola d’amore congress in Luslawice, Poland, by a consort led by Ines Wein. I was inspired to make this arrangement after hearing a piece by Rachel Stott for a similar ensemble.
Powderham Variations for small organ received its first Swiss performance, by Paul Simmonds at the monastery church at Wettingen.
2018
I joined Severnside Composers Alliance at the beginning of last year, and had three performances during their Festival of New Music, May 2018: Offer Me Coffee, setting texts by Exeter poet James Turner, sung by Matthew Clark (baritone) with Philip Blandford (piano); Ultramarine, performed by Roaring Fork Wind Quintet, and 10 Miniature Pieces for piano, which I played during an afternoon of informal talks and performances.
Sidwell’s Spring, to words by Susan Taylor, received its first performance by Julia Thomas, accompanied by Martin Seager (piano), at the Way With Words literary festival, Dartington.
Two more premieres towards the end of the year. Versa est in luctum, a commission by Exeter Chorale, received its first performance at St Michaels, Mount Dinham, with myself conducting and Nigel Browne playing the organ. These Waves Hitting Me sets a poem by Robert Hamberger and was performed at St Paul’s Church, Clifton (Bristol) by Gemini (Sarah Leonard, soprano, Ian Mitchell, clarinet, and Joby Burgess, percussion), during a concert of pieces by SCA composers.