• Written/Unwritten: London Sinfonietta @ Purcell Room, London (18/11/11)

    -this review has been published on I Care If You Listen(.com) http://www.icareifyoulisten.com/2011/11/written-unwritten-london-sinfonietta-purcell-room-southbank-centre-london/ – I’m always keen to hear concerts that attempt to fuse genres and London Sinfonietta’s Written/Unwritten concert at the Purcell Room – as part of the London Jazz Festival – did just that. It brought together players from the ensemble with two jazz musicians –…

  • Aisha Orazbayeva: Outside (Nonclassical)

    – Originally published on I Care if You Listen http://www.icareifyoulisten.com/2011/11/aisha-orazbayeva-debut-album-nonclassical/ – Violinist Aisha Orazbayeva’s debut album ‘Outside’ released 31st October 2011 on the UK-based Nonclassical label is worth exploring. The 25-year old Kazakh born Aisha opens the recording with a fascinating recording of Sciarrino’s Six Capricci (?); not only are these played with a keen…

  • Feedback from last week

    I’m yet to reflect on the writing process but Deborah and I are very grateful for the kind words parents, pupils and colleagues have shared with us about the musical. “There were some really memorable songs, including the fugal facebok one, but most of all I enjoyed the really sophisticated harmonies and subtle timbres of…

  • News item on website

    Photos from the production can be seen at the school website here http://www.nlcs.org.uk/drama/jUNIPER-dREAMS.php

  • Last night…

    Last night of Juniper Dreams – only two performances but I’m unbelievable grateful that there has been two. I will write more about the process once the dust has settled but it has definitely been a learning experience writing my first work for musical theatre.

  • Juniper Dreams – Show week

    Rather amazed how fast show week has appeared; costumes, set, lights, technical bits and orchestration all coming together. Challenges abound but they’re invigorating ones and tomorrow is the dress rehearsal so I’m looking forward to seeing how far it has come. Yesterday was the band call and it was exciting to hear the score come…

  • What is the future for school-based music education in the UK?

    Response to a blog question posed by Jonathan Savage – to appear on his blog shorty. It seems difficult to suggest what the future of school-based music might be. Extra-curricular music flourishes in the UK and it is fantastic to hear of the many talented musicians performing recently at the Schools Proms. I would hope…

  • It’s corrections time

    I’m on the train from Cardiff. The viva vice was survived – and an enjoyable experience. I learned a great deal about my work and about things that worked and elements that need developing. As the chair of examiners said, it is a good chance to get detailed feedback on one’s work. The feedback I…

  • Castor & Pollux – ENO

    Well not much to say about hearing Rameau at ENO this evening. Such compelling music, engaging staging and beautiful singing and playing. The second act particularly kept me gripped until the end. Now I’ll be pondering what willed me to listen so intently to this work. The production was rather interestingly conceived; the removal of…

  • Nicholas Maw Tribute at QEH

    The British composer Nicholas Maw (1935 – 2009) received mixed reception during his life; dubbed a ‘neo-romantic’ his music was in stark contrast with the European avant-garde. The Telegraph obituary from May 2009 wrote that “at a time when Boulez and Stockhausen were in the ascendant, and the sort of big Romantic pieces Maw was…