Workers Union Ensemble have been selected for Sound and Music’s Composer-Curator Programme for 2014/2015, which is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
We will tour Simon Steen Andersen’s On And Off And To And Fro (2008) for soprano saxophone, double bass, vibraphone and three players with megaphones alongside five new commissions. I will be on conducting duties as usual and will also pen a new piece for my Workers mates!
I’m delighted to have been selected by the Riot Ensemble to compose a new piece for Juice Vocal Ensemble. Australian composer Holly Harrison and myself have been chosen from 126 applications to the ensemble’s 2014 Call for Scores. I’m looking forward to composing a new piece for the fabulous vocal trio for performance in November!
I’m delighted to be one of the 2014 Sound and Music British Music Collection ‘New Voices’. There is a rather lovely new website detailing the new cohort of composers:
http://thecollection.soundandmusic.org/new-voices
I am very pleased that the ‘Interactive Music Awareness Programme’ (IMAP) for cochlear implant users we have developed at the University of Southampton is now up online and ready to use @ http://morefrommusic.org/. This is one of the main outcomes of the AHRC funded ‘Compositions for Cochlear Implantees‘ project and producing the online version has been a real labour of love! The computer based resource is aimed at helping cochlear implant (and hearing aid) users improve their music perception skills, it is also supposed to be fun and engaging to use. Some fantastic artists have contributed materials to the resource including Cliff Richard, Philip Selway and 10CC. I’ve loved being involved with this project for the past two years; the highlights having been working with all the lovely CI users I have met and collaborating with my colleague Dr Rachel van Besouw from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research.
The amazing lutist Elizabeth Kenny has commissioned me to write her a new piece for solo theorbo for performance at the inaugural Cumnock Tryst festival. This new festival has been setup by James MacMillan and will take place in October 2014.
I have just finished a mini-tour with the group I am fortunate enough to conduct Workers Union Ensemble. We performed at Turner Sims Concert Hall in Southampton, Birmingham Conservatoire and a final gig at LSO St. Luke’s in London. I can honestly say it has been totally brilliant to work with all in the ensemble and composers we commissioned on our ‘Constructing a Repertoire’ project. Can’t wait for future adventures!! For now here are some recordings from our Birmingham gig…
I was delighted to be invited to speak at the recent MED-EL Rehabilitation Symposium in York. The symposium brought together a wide range of professionals who work with cochlear implant users. I talked about the work we have done with cochlear implant users at the University of Southampton, and in particular our Interactive Music Awareness Programme (IMAP) that will go live at the end of January at http://morefrommusic.org/
I had a great time on Saturday conducting KCYO in the premiere of my new piano concerto for Ivo Neame and the orchestra. It was a great pleasure working with the orchestra and to collaborate with Ivo too. Thanks to all at Kent Music and Geoff Dixon in particular and thanks to Martin Hines and Kent Music for the terrific photos too…
Photo: Martin Hines, Kent Music/KCYO
Photo: Martin Hines, Kent Music/KCYO
Photo: Martin Hines, Kent Music/KCYO
I was in Ashford this week working with the Kent County Youth Orchestra on my new piece for them Loop Concerto. It was great being with the orchestra for the week (just like old times) and excellent to work with the fantastic Ivo Neame on the piece. The work is for improvised piano and has relied on Ivo getting inside the piece. I’m really looking forward to the performance in Maidstone next week!
Ivo Neame
I’m off to take part in an exciting (and slightly scary!) course at Dartington next week. Rambert Dance Company have invited me to be involved as one of the composers for the course, which will involve creating new work with choreographers, dancers and musicians. The course is to be led by renowned American choreographer, Mark Morris and composer/former Musical Director for Mark Morris Dance Group, Ethan Iverson, in consultation with Rambert’s Artistic Director, Mark Baldwin, and Music Director, Paul Hoskins.
It promises to be an amazing and full on week! I’ll try and tweet a bit (it doesn’t come naturally) about how it’s going!
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