My Large Ensemble piece Irreversible recently selected for the International Rostrum of Composers, was broadcast on Bernard Clarke’s Nova on RTÉ Lyric FM, Sunday 19 June 2011. a recording of the broadcast can be heard here. (click on ‘click to listenback’ for Sunday June 19)

Wednesday 22 June 2011. 40 Chromogenic Colour Prints for soprano and guitar. The Forge, Camden, London, UK. 7pm. Performed by Hannah Davey and Paul Norman. (New Work inspired by Gabriel Orozco’s Until You Find Another Yellow Schwalbe, with a text by Antonin Artaud.)

Thursday 23 June 2011. 40 Chromogenic Colour Prints for soprano and guitar. Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham, UK. 7.30pm. Performed by Hannah Davey and Paul Norman. (New Work inspired by Gabriel Orozco’s Until You Find Another Yellow Schwalbe, with a text by Antonin Artaud.)

Friday 26 August 2011 New Work for Violin, viola, Cello, Piano. Great Hall, Dartington, UK. 5.15pm performed by Daniel Pioro, Eniko Magyar, Zoe Martlew, and Noriko Kawai.(Featured as part of the Dartington International Summer School)

My piece Irreversible written for Orkest de Ereprijs has been selected by RTÉ as part of the Irish submission to the International Rostrum of Composers. The International Rostrum of Composers (IRC) is organized by the International Music Council with the financial assistance of participating radio networks. It is an international forum of representatives of broadcasting organizations who come together for the purpose of exchanging and broadcasting contemporary art music. After the listening sessions, the assembly of delegates selects and recommends the most important works in two categories: general and “young composers”. These and other works will be presented in concerts and broadcast after the Rostrum by the participating and other interested radio stations. IRC 2011, will be held next week from June 7 until June 10.  Delegates, including RTÉ lyric fm’s Bernard Clarke will gather in Vienna, Austria where the event will be hosted by ORF, Austrian Radio. All works presented at the IRC are made available by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to its wide network of members and associate members via satellite. These dissemination schemes ensure excellent international coverage for the composers. The other Irish entries are Jonathan Nangle’s Now Is Night Come Quietly, Judith Ring’s Within An Egg Of Space and Enda Bates’ String Quartet No 1.

My piece Das lied von anderen (based on Brendan Behan) is currently being featured at the Dublin Literary New Music Trail 2011 hosted by the CMC around the city of Dublin, running until the 31 August 2011. This trail is a celebration of the rich connections between Irish writers and Irish composers, in recognition of Dublin’s UNESCO City of Literature status. The Dublin Literary Music New Trail 2011 consists of a main trail at the literary parade in St Patrick’s Park as well as an extended trail across South Georgian Dublin. The Dublin Literary New Music Trail 2011 invites you to take a musical journey inspired by the words of Irish writers and poets, with music that gives a fresh perspective on Irish literature old and new. More information is available on the Literary Music Trail Website here

Good News!

I have been offered one of six places to attend the advanced composition course at the Dartington International Summer School 2011, working with Gerald Barry & Richard Baker. I’m very much looking forward to it!

On 7 April, Decibel performed my piece ‘I See Now Why People Hide‘ in a fantastic concert of new works by staff at Birmingham Conservatoire. This concert was for me the highlight of my time at the Conservatoire. The whole programme was excellent and highlighted the level of creativity at work at Birmingham Conservatoire. This compositional creativity could only be matched by such sheer dedication by all the performers involved who went above and beyond the call of duty in putting on such a brilliant concert. Again, this level of professionalism could only be matched by the dedication of Ed Bennett & Fumiko Miyachi, in putting together such a fine concert which was a large logistical undertaking. It was a great privilege for me to be programmed amongst such eminent composers and a great honour to have my music performed by such virtuosic and dedicated performers. I only hope that we can work together soon again. I believe that this concert will live long in the minds of all who were there to experience its beauty.

On Thursday 7 April at 7.30 Decibel will perform my new work for ensemble I see Now Why People Hide. This piece is inspired by a text by the artist Martin Creed (text available here). The concert will also feature works by composers Ed Bennett, Laurence Crane, Joe Cutler, Fumiko Miyachi, Howard Skempton, James Tenney, and Michael Wolters. Full concert details available here. It promises to be a spectacular concert!

Last Friday 1st April the Crash Ensemble performed a new piece of mine, Basso Continuo in the Irish Museum of Modern art (IMMA). This concert for me, was a resounding success for a multiplicity of reasons. Firstly, I was delighted with how my own composition came across, it being expertly performed by the crash ensemble (conducted by Gavin Maloney) with the necessary energy and musical sensitivity it required.

Secondly, the whole concert just worked extremely well due the fantastically conceived programming (each piece gelled really well with its adjacent companion and each pillaring composition supported the whole programme with gothic grace and elegance). This was matched in spades by the superb job done by everyone involved behind the scenes including the sound and lighting crew, the marketing team and those friendly people selling tickets and programmes, insuring a well attended, smooth running and warmly ambient concert.

Finally, this was the first concert I had been to in Ireland for a number of years, and I was immensely impressed by the level of musicianship and compositional integrity that could be heard from each of the composers represented. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it was some of the freshest, stylistically original, emotive, energetic and beautiful music I’ve heard in a long time. Indeed, Andrew Hamilton’s Music for People who Like Art had a profound effect on me, making it seem like oceans ago since I’ve experienced music like this.

I’ve been coming more and more to the realisation (as are many other composers and listeners) that the music coming out of Ireland is some of the most original, beautiful, and profound around at the moment (Despite what one may read in the press). It’s certainly more interesting that the majority of music coming out of the UK and France (of which I have personal experience), and probably many other places too. Maybe the reason for this is that, rather than being concerned with writing for the world’s largest and best known Orchestras and Ensembles and talking about how great one’s music is (as many of the worlds young careering portfolio carrying composer are), young Irish composers seem more concerned with less talking and creating great art themselves, working within their own resources in realising their art (A topic lightly touched upon at CMC’s pre-concert talk). This seeming attitude instantly draws my attention to the dictum ‘say little do much,’ and if the range of talent on display in IMMA last Friday is anything to go by, in the near future Irish composers will have even less to say, because everyone else will be doing the talking.

On Friday 1 April 2011 the wonderfully exuberant Crash Ensemble will perform the world Première of my piece Basso Continuo. This concert will take place at 8pm in the beautiful surroundings of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Kilmainham. The concert will also feature works by Judith Ring, Amanda Feery, Andrew Hamilton, Anna Murray, Francis Heery, Benedict Schlepper-Connolly and Dan Trueman. It promises to be an event not to be missed and a rare treat!

I will also be part of a pre-concert talk at 6.30pm hosted by the contemporary music centre.

Full concert details available here

Facebook page

Twitter

 

Thursday and Friday just gone saw the world premiere performances of my new percussion piece Rückstände by BCMG percussionist Julian Warburton. This was my first performance with the group as part of my Sound and Music residency and was a really great experience for me.

Julian performed the piece expertly, with the skillful precision and poignant sensitivity it required and I am in awe of his musicianship.  These performances also afforded me the opportunity to speak about my music in public and who better to speak about music to than Howard Skempton! It was also great to speak to people after the concerts who only had kind words to say about the piece.

I am very grateful for the opportunities that have arisen as a result of this residency and am very much looking forward to my future work with the group.

In addition, in yesterday’s guardian there was an article dealing with the effects that funding cuts could have on the group, potentially making concerts like this, and opportunities for people like me a thing of the past.  Read the article here