Category Archives: Recordings

Workers Union Ensemble Autumn Activities

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…

Reading Phoenix Choir release recording of Debussy’s ‘Des pas sur la neige’

In 2011 David Crown, conductor of the Reading Phoenix Choir, commissioned me to do an arrangement for choir. I had free reign to chose what I wanted to do and set about arranging one of my favourite Debussy Piano Preludes, Des pas sur la neige. The choir have since sung the arrangement in several concerts, recorded it and released it on their label. You can read a review of one of the concerts here, buy their CD from Amazon/iTunes or listen on Spotify:

I would be keen to hear from any other choirs interested in performing the work in the future.

Prelude, Fugue and Riffs

I took part in the final part of the International Composer Pyramid Competition this weekend. I didn’t win but I was voted best piece by the audiences in both Canterbury and Boulogne-sur-Mer, as well as the musicians who played the piece. I was very pleased with this vote of confidence and with how the musicians, conducted by Mark Foster, approached my music. Many thanks to them. The following is the recording from the French gig…

Aldeburgh Recording

I had a fantastic week at the Aldeburgh Festival taking part in the Britten Pears Programme. I had good masterclasses with Helmut Lachenmann, Pierre Laurent Aimard and Yukiko Sagawarra. I am looking forward to attending the ‘New Media’ course in September too!

Here is a recording of my new piano piece, Three Materials, played live at the Aldeburgh Festival by the amazing young German pianist Fabian Mueller.

Many thanks to Fabian for learning the piece amongst his hectic schedule!

ICP 2011

At the weekend I was selected by an international jury as one of three prize winners in the International Composer Pyramid 2011. I am very honoured to therefore move through to the final phase of the competition, organised by Sounds New and Coups de Vent, to be held in 2012.

Here is a recording of my piece played by the ICP Ensemble, conducted by the masterful French conductor Philippe Nahon. He did an absolutely fantastic job with the ensemble, which is formed of British musicians from the Ossian Ensemble (director Darren Bloom) and players from Coups de Vent.

Momentum by ben_oliver_music

I should have more news soon about performances that will arise from being selected as a prize winner.

‘Ripped Up’ Workers Union Performance Video

Markus Kinch from Film41 has made an excellent video of the recent Workers Union performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

You can hear the other pieces by Matt Kaner, Adam Fergler and Oliver Sellwood at the Workers Union soundcloud.

ON AIR: Musarc workshop and performance + recording

I had a brilliant day yesterday working with the Musarc choir at St. Stephen Walbrook Church.  The choir commissioned three composers, Neil Luck, Tom Chant and myself to work with the choir on new pieces.  I wrote a new piece ‘Interplay II’ for choir, piano and live electronics.  The choir were a joy to work with and their director Cathy Heller Jones did an amazing job conducting my piece.  A recording is already available thanks to Joseph Kohlmaier and while I think the electronics could perhaps be louder and further developed I think the piece as a whole is rather effective!