This week sees the premiere of 'Seven Face Pictures' in Manchester by Trio Atem (that's them on the right). Scored for mezzo-soprano, flute and cello, it's a breakneck song cycle of seven songs in ten minutes, setting the poetry of Caroline Bird. One hitch though – due to time restrictions, at Friday's performance we might have to only do six...
Manchester Camerata are teaming up with folk singer Bella Hardy on the 31st of January to workshop arrangements of folk songs by composers at Manchester University, the RNCM and Chetham's School of Music. My blues-meets-Broadway arrangement of 'The Snows they Melt the Soonest', a Northumbrian folk song, will be one of the pieces workshopped, in front of a panel including...
A Christmas present for you: here's the audio of Michael Jones and Vaganza performing Acheronta Movebo on 26th November… [audio:http://www.tomcoult.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/LunchRegion-11.mp3|titles=Tom Coult - Acheronta Movebo] I've got a rather busy start of 2011 brewing…Trio Atem premiere 'Seven Face Pictures' on 14th January, two able pianists and the University of Manchester Chamber Orchestra premiere 'Ex Machinis' on 5th February, the Quatuor Danel workshop a...
I have been asked to write a new piece for a collaboration between Vaganza (Manchester University's new music ensemble) and Chimera Ensemble (York University's new music ensemble). The piece will be for 2 instrumental groups – an oboe and 3 percussionists, plus an ancillary string sextet (one ensemble for each University). It will be performed when Chimera come to Manchester's Cosmo...
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...
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...
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,...
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...