• Reich at the Barbican

    A privilege tonight to hear the LSO perform a programme of Reich music; it confirmed for me that not only is he a composer worthy of considerable attention but his music speaks to people. His voice is indeed a unique and consistent one and no matter what one’s opinion of minimalism might be, his music…

  • OUT HEAR: Plus Minus @ Kings Place

    Kings Place has a wonderfully electric programme of events and the concert, in its smaller hall, of a programme entitled ‘Repeat Music’ by the ensemble Plus Minus offered an insight into music of the second half of the twentieth century that was minimal in its design but not in its effect. The opening work ‘Madrigale’…

  • Composing Across the Spectrum

    -Below is the text of the article that appears in the current issue of EPTA’s Piano Professional- Nothing can be more satisfying in the early stages of a new composition with a pupil than exploring scores. For me, all composition should start with research; listening to similarly scored pieces, exploring a particular composer in depth…

  • Marriage of Figaro – ENO

    I’m making an extra effort to attend ENO productions to make the most of their ‘Access all arias’ scheme for 16-30 years old opera-goers to get discounted tickets. It means I get wonderful seats for a fraction of the cost and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve seen so far, no doubt aided by a better view…

  • My first concert review

    The editor of http://www.icareifyoulisten.com kindly has permitted me to contribute to the wonderful blog he started last December on ‘new’ music. I wasn’t quite sure what I would be able to contribute and envisaged it might be my usual education related musings. Thomas mentioned reviewing – of which I have done a few books already…

  • Writing the trio

    Rehearsals are very much underway and the songs seem to be working. It is a real pleasure to hear them come to life and so far only one key change – which I was reluctant to do but it was necessary to maintain the integrity of the vocal line even though this was at the…

  • I care if you listen

    I am looking forward to contributing over the next week some items to the wonderful blog ‘I Care if you listen’ – edited by the New York based composer Thomas Deneuville. This weekend I will hear a concert of Boulez’s music at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank and my review will appear on the…

  • Quotation…

    Berio’s Sinfonia was my first encounter with quotation in music. Certainly my first experience of music where the appropriation of another’s music was used to achieve a particular effect. I was convinced that the third movement of Sinfonia represented an attempt to reinvigorate the idea of the ‘masterwork’ in an age of such musical diversity.…

  • The Passenger – ENO

    Hearing the players in the pit getting ready for a performance at the Coliseum reminds me of the limitless potential of the orchestra. It is a rich sonic palette that remains rich with variety and power. Weinberg’s orchestration in ‘The Passenger’ reminded me of Britten – in its use of solo woodwind lines in colouring…

  • Grief – Mike Leigh

    I am never deluded to think that when I watch a play that is in any way ‘real’ but conversely I want to be willed to believe. Full stop. I know they are actors, on a stage, but whatever happens during the play I want to be convinced and unquestioning of the play’s ‘reality’. I…