www.scottishmusiccentre.com

Composers’ Digest

Winter/Spring 2011

Welcome 3

Double Triumph for SMC’s Composer Members 4

BASCA Survey 5

WOMEX Announces Host City Shortlist for 2013 6

Let’s Get Lyrical 7

Sound Thought 7

The Concept 9

Musical Bites 10

Performance Details 13

Calls for Scores 17

Celebrations 19

In the News 20

Social Networking 22

Next Issue 23

CONTENTS

It gives me great pleasure to introduce the 3rd issue of our Composers’ Digest, as its vital role in the continual development of SMC services and ultimate aim of generating increased commissioning opportunities for Scottish composers is something I feel very passionately about. More importantly, I am delighted that many of the features in this issue and the increasing number of performances of your works, including several premières directly reflect the inherent value of our services, not only for those involved in the Scottish music industry, but indeed contemporary classical music worldwide. Highlights include Rory Boyle’s British Composer Award for his opera Kaspar Hauser, Sally Beamish, Anna Meredith and Oliver Searle’s success as participants in the PRS Foundation’s New Music 20x12 project and Glasgow’s shortlisting as potential host city for WOMEX 2013. Your feedback and contribution of material is always greatly appreciated, therefore I would urge you to email us regularly and/or fill out the new online feedback form located in the digest section of our homepage. I hope you enjoy our Winter/Spring edition and warm wishes from all at the Centre, Christopher Glasgow Digest Administrator

WELCOME

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The twenty works commissioned for New Music 20x12 each last 12 minutes and offer a snapshot of the quality and diversity of new music in the UK. Each piece will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and tour the UK, ensuring as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy excellent new music as part of the 2012 celebrations.

http://www.iamic.net/scotland

Featured Composer: Rory Boyle

BASCA SURVEY

BASCA (The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors) is currently undertaking a survey of the commissioning of classical and jazz music. This is open to composers, publishers and commissioners, and the information gathered will be analysed and aggregated to demonstrate the range, mean and average of commission fees over a 5-year period. BASCA would like composers and commissioners to have this relevant information so that they are aware of the historical cost of commissioning new music.

Over the past two months the Scottish Music Centre has proudly celebrated and publicised the outstanding achievement and successes of four of our composer members, Rory Boyle, whose 2010 opera Kaspar Hauser won a British Composer Award at the ceremony on 30th November and Sally Beamish, Anna Meredith and Oliver Searle, all of whom have been announced as successful participants in the PRS Foundation’s New Music 20x12.

The 2010 British Composer Awards took place on Tuesday, 30th November at Stationers Hall, London. The Awards celebrate the music of today’s composers living and working in the United Kingdom and also UK premières of work by composers from outside the UK. The journey towards Boyle’s winning work first began in 2006 following a Creative Scotland award and in March 2010 it premièred at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama to great critical acclaim.

Additionally, we would like to acknowledge composer members Sally Beamish and John McLeod who also received nominations.

Following this, the twenty participants for New Music 20x12 were announced on 10th December. Those selected include composer members Sally Beamish, Anna Meredith and Oliver Searle. New Music 20x12 presents twenty outstanding pieces of new music which will feature centre stage at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad as the capital hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

DOUBLE TRIUMPH FOR SCOTTISH MUSIC CENTRE’S COMPOSER MEMBERS

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This information is not intended as, nor will it be presented as a recommendation on price, but is to help those concerned calculate their own cost price structures so as to enable them to establish their selling and commissioning prices independently.

http://www.basca.org.uk/campaigns-campaigns/campaigns-commissioning-survey

WORLD MUSIC EXPO ANNOUNCES HOST CITY SHORTLIST FOR 2013

We are proud to announce that Glasgow has been shortlisted as one of the three European cities, alongside Cardiff and Dublin, selected as potential WOMEX hosts for 2013.

In total WOMEX received bids from nine cities within Europe for the 2013 edition. Daniela Teuber, WOMEX Director of Production, comments: With only three slots available on the shortlist and so many appealing applications received, the selection was particularly challenging. The next stage of the process is site visits to Cardiff, Dublin and Glasgow.

WOMEX features a major Showcase Festival, a bustling Trade Fair and a comprehensive Conference including a Mentoring Programme, Country Speed-Dating and Matchmaking Service, plus Film Screenings and numerous meetings of international music networks.

http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/news/10964/

Glasgow and Edinburgh have joined forces as UNESCO Creative Cities to establish Let’s Get Lyrical – a month-long celebration of song lyrics and why they matter to people

(1st – 28th February). Through a dynamic website, a programme of events and print materials , viewers are invited to enjoy and share lyrics, explain why certain lyrics matter to them and in some cases contribute their own work.

http://www.letsgetlyrical.com/

Featured Project: Let’s Get Lyrical

SOUND THOUGHT

Brought to you by Glasgow University postgraduate students and The Arches, Sound Thought is three days of interdisciplinary performances, installations, compositions, presentations and provocations all considering music as action across distance.

LET’S GET LYRICAL

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Featuring everything from Leona Lewis dueting with a toilet, to piercing the silence of the library, first performances by the most exciting new string quartet in the country, and innovative installations using lasers to play mushrooms, and stethoscopes to play your heart… This year’s event, running from 3rd – 5th February, includes diverse and groundbreaking work from celebrated composers, visual artists, dancers, contemporary theatre practitioners and film makers alongside a massive programme of intriguing multimedia presentations, discussions and workshops focussed on music and sound in performance.

Featured artists include Alex Rigg, Rosalind Masson, Yann Seznec, Usurper, Iain Campbell, Yvon Bonenfant, Neil Davidson, Kathryn McCain, Graeme Truslove, Paul Henry, Calum Scott, Xana Marwick and Glasgow Open School.

http://soundthought2011.blogspot.com/

Featured Artist: Iain Campbell

Around 90 youngsters from high schools across Scotland will be coming to the Scottish Music Centre and joining singer/songwriter Louise Quinn and producer Bal Cooke from Glasgow indie pop group A Band Called Quinn at the next Concept Session on 9th February to deconstruct their forthcoming single Wolf Cries Boy and remix it. Bal and Louise will demonstrate how the track was produced and participants will be invited to record new component parts with the resulting remix being released on Tromolo Records. This session is aimed at inspiring young songwriters and composers who have an interest in using music technology.

For more info contact:

education@scottishmusiccentre.com

Featured Artist: Louise Quinn

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THE CONCEPT

Andrew Cruickshank

Andrew Cruickshank had sell-out performances of Club Gateways in Novemember 2010 at the Winchester Club, Glasgow. The first two acts of the new musical The Gates, which includes 17 original songs by the composer and lyricist Rachel Jury, were performed in the site sensitive setting of the club. The show is set in the 1950s and it is hoped there will be performances of the completed work (three acts) in the near future. Andrew Cruickshank is currently composing for the new Plutôt La Vie show By The Seat Of Your Pants opening in Howden Park Livingston on 3rd March 2011 before touring Scotland.

http://www.gatewaysproductions.co.uk/html/media.html

Delphian Releases

Sally Beamish, The Seafarer Trio: http://www.delphianrecords.co.uk/soundbites/DCD34084-01.mp3

Nigel Osborne, The Piano Tuner:

http://www.delphianrecords.co.uk/soundbites/DCD34084-12.mp3

Judith Weir, Piano Trio Two:

http://www.delphianrecords.co.uk/soundbites/DCD34084-03.mp3

MUSICAL BITES Erik Chisholm

MusicWeb International named Erik Chisholm’s The Forsaken Mermaid and The Hoddie Craw recording of the month:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Jan11/chisholm_ect2010.htm

John Hearne

In the Waverley Care Carol Competition John Hearne's carol There's a Song in the Air was short-listed, and in the Finals Concert on 27th November it won the Caledonian Thistle Audience Prize. It has since been performed by Cadenza, and by the Stonehaven Chorus.

http://www.waverleycare.org/content/news/142,363/Just-in-time-for-

Christmas.html John Hearne's piano duet Solemn and Strange Music was performed in November in Monymusk Arts Trust by Joseph Tong and Waka Hasegawa, and in South Wales a week later by the Davies Duo (who have also recorded it). Earlier in November John Hearne went to Leipzig for a performance of the Requiem by the Swedish composer Fredrik Sixten which was performed in John's English translation (from the Swedish) by the Leipziger Vocalensemble. John conducted the UK première of this piece in Stonehaven in 2009, and a further performance is planned for November 2011 in Aberdeen as part of the Sound Festival.

http://www.impulse-music.co.uk/hearne.htm

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John McLeod

A new print of Mike Radford's award winning film Another Time, Another Place (with music composed and conducted by John McLeod) is now available on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk ArkivMusic in America has re-issued Visions from the North featuring McLeod's The Gokstad Ship and two symphonic song-cycles The Whispered Name (Soloist Jane Manning) and Lieder der Jugend (Winner of the Guinness Prize for British composers)

http://www.arkivmusic.com A Dramatic Landscape - Polish Radio Orchestra conducted by John McLeod. This is also available on Amazon or can be downloaded as an Mp3 from the Chandos site

http://www.chandos.net John Rose The Edinburgh Quartet play John Rose on Divine Art:

http://www.divine-art.co.uk/CD/25092info.htm

Thomas Wilson Margaret Wilson will be giving a public lecture on her late husband, the composer on 22nd March in the Boyd Orr Building of The University of Glasgow. This lecture is given under the auspices of the Friends of Glasgow West.

Whilst our main site details the vast majority of up and coming concerts within Scotland across all musical genres, we would particularly like to highlight those featuring Scottish Composers over the next two months. Since the launch of our first issue, the number of forthcoming events catalogued has tripled, so please continue to keep us updated. Numerous listings have also been contributed from Chamber Music Forum and Enterprise Music Scotland.

Friday 11th February 2011; St John’s Church, Dumfries Enterprise Music Scotland and Dumfries Music Club present: The Beyounes String Quartet Featured Composer: Marcus Blunt Work: Serenatina Wednesday 16th February 2011; Wigmore Hall, London Scottish Ensemble present: Alison Balsom, Side by Side with the Royal Academy Soloists Featured Composer: James MacMillan Work: Seraph * Sunday 20th February 2011; City Halls, Glasgow Symposia present: Clare McGarry and Martin O’Connor Featured Composer: Oliver Searle Work: The Farmer’s Cheese

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

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Sunday 20th and Monday 21st February 2011; Salford University and The Arches, Glasgow NYOS Futures present: Vanishing Boundaries Featured Composer: Kenneth Dempster Work: Falling Softly, Softly Falling Thursday 24th February 2011; The University of Glasgow Concert Hall Music in The University presents: Hebrides Ensemble Featured Composer: James MacMillan Work: 14 Little Pictures Wednesday 2nd March 2011; Adelaide’s, Glasgow Glasgow Symphony Orchestra and Fiona Hamilton Featured Composer: Tommy Fowler Work: Viola Concerto * Thursday 3rd March 2011; The University of Glasgow Concert Hall Music in The University presents: Ruth Morley and Rhian MacLead Featured Composer: Jane Stanley Work: Four Desert Flowers * Friday 11th March 2011; Ryan Theatre, Stranraer Enterprise Music Scotland and Stranraer Music for All present: Edinburgh Quartet Featured Composer: Edward McGuire Work: The Silent Traveller Returns

Friday 11th March 2011; Academy Concert Hall, RSAMD, Glasgow James Willshire presents: Boyling Point Featured Composer: Rory Boyle Works: Reeling, Capriccio on The Anniversary of a Beloved Master, Berceuse for Bertie and Piano Sonata Friday 11th March 2011; Alexander Gibson Opera Studio, RSAMD, Glasgow Red Note Side by Side with RSAMD MusicLab presents: Boyling Point Featured Composer: Rory Boyle Works: Night’s Music, Phaethon’s Dancing Lesson, Cinderella and Dance, MacAber! Sunday 13th March 2011; St Margaret’s Church, Glasgow Daniel’s Beard Featured Composer: Edward McGuire Work: Horn Trio * Thursday 17th and Friday 18th March 2011; St Brides Church, Glasgow and St John’s Church, Edinburgh Mr McFall’s Chamber present: Gavin Bryars Featured Composer: Martin Suckling Friday 18th March 2011; Cambridge Emily White and Steve Bingham Featured Composer: David Ward Work: Emails from Palestine (1)

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Friday 18th March 2011, Woodend Barn, Banchory Edinburgh Quartet Featured Composer: James MacMillan Work: Memento and Etwas Zuruckhaltend Saturday 19th March 2011; Le Blues Autour du Zinc Festival, Beauvais Buzz Records present: Devil’s Left Hand Featured Composer: Dave Arcari Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th, Tuesday 22nd – Saturday 26th March 2011; Ardishaig Hall, Ardishaig; Kirn Church Centre, Cowal; Lorne and Lowland Church, Campbletown; Islay; Glencruitten Church, Oban and St Columba’s Church, Portree Enterprise Music Scotland present: Scottish Reed Trio Featured Composer: Oliver Searle Work: Dalriada * Première

http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/events

Featured ensemble: Scottish Ensemble

We continually endeavour to feature the majority of worldwide music competitions and calls for scores on our website. Although these frequently apply to music students and/or recent graduates, many of our posts cater for our entire composing membership:

New Music Scotland Network Deadline: 28th February 2011 New Music Scotland is hosting a showcase event on the weekend of 22nd/23rd October 2011 in Aberdeen at the beginning of the Sound Festival, which will feature music and sound art created and/or performed by Scottish practitioners. Selected projects will form part of a weekend of workshops, discussions and presentations about new music in Scotland. Red Note Deadline: 7th March 2011 For 21st March Noisy Night: Harpsichord, Viola da Gamba and Recorder Deadline: 23rd May 2011 For 6th June Noisy Night: Electric Guitar, Electric Violin and Electric Cello

CALLS FOR SCORES

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All submissions must be received by 5pm on the deadline date. All scores, together with parts, should be submitted via email in PDF format to:

john@rednoteensemble.com

The University of Aberdeen Music Prize

Deadline: 27th May 2011

The University of Aberdeen, in association with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, will be hosting the fourth biennial University of Aberdeen Music Prize for composers in November 2011.

The University of Aberdeen Music Prize, a collaboration between the University of Aberdeen and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, has earned a reputation as one of the most prestigious contemporary composition prizes across the globe.

http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/competitions

Featured Institution: University of Aberdeen

The Scottish Music Centre would like to acknowledge the following Composer Anniversaries for Spring 2011:

Rory Boyle: March 2011 (see Boiling Point in Performance Details) Ronald Stevenson: March 2011 In celebration of John Maxwell Geddes’ approaching 70th, we thought it was only fitting that he should feature as our second guest for the Composer Podcast, available on the Scottish Music Centre homepage from 1st February.

Composer Profile:

John Maxwell Geddes studied at the RSAMD and the Royal Danish Conservatoire. His works include 3 symphonies, many orchestral and chamber pieces, choral works, folk song settings and film scores. These have been performed at prestigious venues such as London Proms, Warsaw Autumn, St. Petersburg, Sholokov, Don Spring, Xenakis, Prokofiev and Edinburgh festivals, Berlin Sommerfest and many more throughout the world.

2011 sees Geddes as a featured composer in the St Magnus Festival where several of his works will be performed, including a new commission from the London based group Fretwork which will be premièred. This work will also be performed again in Poland.

http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/directory/e1945/

CELEBRATIONS

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Below is a selection of key articles encompassing contemporary and classical music which have been published over the last two months. Full cuttings are located in the News section of our website.

Marriage made in heaven - If ever there was a reason for having a national opera company in Scotland, this is it. Pavel Haas Quartet are Glasgow’s new Czech mates Inside the RSAMD’s Speirs Locks studios RSNO to lose inspirational chief to US orchestra Scottish Opera’s latest project is aimed at babies aged just 6-18 months James Dillon: Many rivers to cross... Happy Birthday BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; An Orchestra at 75 RSAMD plans name change Scotland’s arts organisations must come clean about the budget cuts Royal Scottish National Orchestra musicians start Rachel House residency

IN THE NEWS Creative Scotland responds to the Scottish Government budget

Queen's composer to score music for the Royal Wedding

New RSNO venue is a classic piece of forward-thinking

Scottish Opera Wins British Composer Award

National Theatre of Scotland celebrates fifth birthday with a pub lock-in

Dunedin ranked 11 amongst the top 20 Choirs in the world

Snow business buries bad news about City of Music

Conduct Becoming - The BBC SSO and RSAMD collaborate on a lasting arts legacy for Scotland

http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/news

Featured Performance: The Marriage of Figaro

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Want to keep up to date with all the latest Scottish Music Centre News? Why not follow us on Twitter or become a friend on Facebook? If you would like any material published on these profiles (information, links, photos, video and audio), please contact our Digest Administrator:

chris.glasgow@scottishmusiccentre.com

SOCIAL NETWORKING

April 2011

Composer Members: David Dorward, Robert Crawford, William Wordsworth, Shaun Dillon, Thomas Wilson and John Maxwell Geddes

If you would like any material published on our website or in our next edition, please contact our Digest Administrator:

chris.glasgow@scottishmusiccentre.com

NEXT ISSUE

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