I've finally delivered everything for Amazing Grace. I've a busy time ahead of me for the next month.
At the beginning of June, I have two performances of my music that I will be attending in New York, Strike! and a new piece for String quartet and live electronics called Residue. Residue is a collaboration with fellow composer, Adam Stansbie, who has written the electronic element of the piece. I will be performing the live electronics part myself. Luckily, it looks as if I will get two rehearsals with the quartet before the performance. Phew!
After New York, I am off to the Visby International Composers' Centre in Sweden to be composer-in-residence. While I'm there, I will be completing my piece for quarter-tone alto flute, guitar and live electronics for Rarescale.
Before I set off for New York in June, I will be getting involved in the early stages of my biggest upcoming project, Wingbeats. This is a mini-opera/music theatre piece in collaboration with librettist Adam Strickson that forms part of the curated 2012 Olympics.
Friday, 21 May 2010
Interview with Michael Finnissy
On 18th May, I had the good fortune to interview Michael Finnissy for an upcoming feature article with photographs by Andras Ridovics (the photo above is not one of ours and comes from Michael's own website).
The location was perfect - outside the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank - and the coffee (served in mugs without handles - very capital city!) was delicious. As always, Michael was extremely generous with his time and was an absolute joy to sit and chat with. We discussed his recent commission for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and he shared his views on art in the wider context and its relationship with his music.
Keep your eyes open and I'll post the link to the feature when it is published.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Amazing Grace Update
I spent lunchtime recording today recording Dobcross School Choir for some music for a major scene in Amazing Grace. The choir sang beautifully and the recording is going to work really well in the drama.
After that, Paul Thompson and I did the final mixes for the incidental music, as well as the main opening and closing themes. If I do say so myself, the music's turned out really well.
Anyway, the final mixes have been sent out tho the producer and everyone's happy.
Tomorrow, I'm recording an interview with Michael Finnissy for Whatelse Magazine and my old friend, Andras Ridovics, will be doin the photo shoot.
After that, Paul Thompson and I did the final mixes for the incidental music, as well as the main opening and closing themes. If I do say so myself, the music's turned out really well.
Anyway, the final mixes have been sent out tho the producer and everyone's happy.
Tomorrow, I'm recording an interview with Michael Finnissy for Whatelse Magazine and my old friend, Andras Ridovics, will be doin the photo shoot.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Amazing Grace Recording Session
I've just got in after recording the Leeds University Liturgical Choir for the main opening and closing themes of Amazing Grace.
The session went very smoothly, mainly because the choir and their director, Bryan White, are such a talented, accommodating and patient group. I was impressed with how beautifully everyone sang and how sensitively they interpreted the music. In short, the whole session was a joy to be part of.
I was also lucky to have my friend and colleague, Paul Thompson, along to record the session. Paul's always a pleasure to work with and he's an extremely talent engineer and producer.
Anyway, I must dash, Paul is currently mixing and mastering the session ready for delivery tomorrow.
The session went very smoothly, mainly because the choir and their director, Bryan White, are such a talented, accommodating and patient group. I was impressed with how beautifully everyone sang and how sensitively they interpreted the music. In short, the whole session was a joy to be part of.
I was also lucky to have my friend and colleague, Paul Thompson, along to record the session. Paul's always a pleasure to work with and he's an extremely talent engineer and producer.
Anyway, I must dash, Paul is currently mixing and mastering the session ready for delivery tomorrow.
Monday, 10 May 2010
Leeds University Liturgical Choir
I will be recording the Leeds University Liturgical Choir singing the main theme I've written for the BBC Radio 4 drama, Amazing Grace, tomorrow evening. The choir are great, so I'm expecting the theme to sound really good in this version.
Monday, 3 May 2010
All work and no play...
Final score and parts of Residue now sent to New York.
Wav. file of Strike! now sent to New York.
Final choral parts and text for the opening and closing themes of Amazing Grace now sent to choral director.
Date set for Finnissey interview.
...now what have I forgotten?
Wav. file of Strike! now sent to New York.
Final choral parts and text for the opening and closing themes of Amazing Grace now sent to choral director.
Date set for Finnissey interview.
...now what have I forgotten?
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Crazy Times
There's so much going on at the minute that it's getting difficult to keep track.
I'm into the recording and mixing phase of the Amazing Grace themes and incidental music, which is going really well. We did a full day in the studio this week and we have a few location recording session to do oveer the next couple of weeks. Amazing Grace is going to be broadcast in five parts on BBC Radio 4 through the week beginning 28th June.
Residue, a string quartet and live electronics/tape piece I've been working on as a collaboration with Adam Stansbie has been programmed for performance as part of the ICMC festival, so I need to finish of the parts and re-do a couple of other bits with Adam.
I've been asked to interview Michael Finnissey for an iphone/ipad arts magazine called What Else (see Links). That will be a fun gig, but there's a bit of pressure on regarding deadlines.
Although I finished my other string quartet recently, I've decided to give that a re-working.
All this stuff need to be done by the end of May, when I'm off to New York for the performances of Strike! and Residue. Once those gigs are over, I'm off to Visby in Sweden to be composer in residence until the end of June.
I'm into the recording and mixing phase of the Amazing Grace themes and incidental music, which is going really well. We did a full day in the studio this week and we have a few location recording session to do oveer the next couple of weeks. Amazing Grace is going to be broadcast in five parts on BBC Radio 4 through the week beginning 28th June.
Residue, a string quartet and live electronics/tape piece I've been working on as a collaboration with Adam Stansbie has been programmed for performance as part of the ICMC festival, so I need to finish of the parts and re-do a couple of other bits with Adam.
I've been asked to interview Michael Finnissey for an iphone/ipad arts magazine called What Else (see Links). That will be a fun gig, but there's a bit of pressure on regarding deadlines.
Although I finished my other string quartet recently, I've decided to give that a re-working.
All this stuff need to be done by the end of May, when I'm off to New York for the performances of Strike! and Residue. Once those gigs are over, I'm off to Visby in Sweden to be composer in residence until the end of June.
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