Respiration m’inspire – 9th December

Following their last workshop where they tried out Wasserflut and Needles and Butter for size, mezzo-soprano Nina Whiteman and flautist Gavin Osborn will be workshopping a new duo of mine on Thursday. Entitled 'Respiration M'Inspire', the piece focuses on timbre and the intersection of techniques and sounds between the two players. Here's the programme note: In ‘Respiration m’inspire’, the two players engage...

52 Commercial Road – A Wreck Provides…

Some news about a different project: 52 Commercial Road – a London-based band I have played violin with many a time – have just released their second album, entitled 'A Wreck Provides An Excellent Foundation'. Check out a review of the new album here. The album is available as a physical copy or as a digital download over at the band's...

Acheronta Movebo – 26th November

This Friday is the performance of Acheronta Movebo by Vaganza, with Michael Jones as soloist. Vaganza are Manchester University's contemporary music ensemble, and Friday sees a celebration of the music of Helmut Lachenmann. My composition is in the lunchtime concert at Manchester's Martin Harris Centre, which also features Lachenmann's Consolation II, as well as works by Caroline Ferry, Joy Chou,...

Seven Face Pictures – 14th January 2011

Mozart in Manchester

The University of Manchester chamber orchestra is performing Mozart's first and last symphonies a week tomorrow, and I have written some programme notes, which I thought I'd post up here: Symphony No. 1 In Eb K. 16 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has come to be seen as perhaps the quintessential child composer in the mind of the public. A ready-made case study...

Flute & Voice Workshops – 19th October

This coming Tuesday, two short studies of mine will be workshopped at Manchester's Martin Harris Centre, by singer Nina Whiteman and flautist Gavin Osborn. These two performers are two thirds of the wonderful Trio Atem, and are successful composers as well. Nina will be singing 'Needles and Butter', a progressive destruction of two alliterative 18th-century nursery rhymes, while Gavin will...

Manchester University Commission – 4th February 2011

Manchester University Music Society have kindly offered me the opportunity to write a new piece for conducted ensemble, to be premiered on the 5th February 2011 at the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama. The concert will also feature works by Stravinsky, Milhaud, Varèse and Walton. ...

Acheronta Movebo – 26th November

Vaganza, Manchester University's new music ensemble, will perform my Acheronta Movebo on Friday 26th November at a day of concerts entitled 'Lachenmann at 75: Inward Beauty', celebrating the composer's birthday this year. Scored for violin and ensemble, the solo part was written for Mike Jones who played it at an informal concert in May (you can see a video over...

Maxwell Davies Interview

Back in November, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies was invited to Manchester University by the Music Society to attend a concert by Vaganza as part of the New Music North West festival. Vaganza performed my Moto Perpetuo, and Max gave a Forum afterwards, where he talked about his work with me, fellow composer Professor Philip Grange, and my fellow student Helen...