The prestigious NCEM Composers Award 2009, presented in association with BBC Radio 3 and The Tallis Scholars, has been won by 16-year-old Elizabeth Edwards and 23-year-old Michael Perrett.
The winners were announced at a special finalists’ concert at the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) in York, where all six short-listed pieces were performed by the York-based Ebor Singers. The competition was judged by Peter Phillips, Director of The Tallis Scholars, Chris Wines, Senior Music Producer with BBC Radio 3 and Delma Tomlin, Director of the NCEM.
The competition saw over 50 entrants from up and down the country, with the youngest aged 11 years old. The winning pieces written for four-part a cappella (unaccompanied) choir will be premiered by the internationally renowned Tallis Scholars at the opening concert of the York Early Music Festival on Friday 10 July in York Minster. Highlights of the concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show on Saturday 25 July 2009.
There were two age categories in this competition – under 18 years, and 19 to 25 years – and the six short-listed candidates had the opportunity to work with the Ebor Singers and the composer Christopher Fox prior to the finalists’ concert.
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Archive for the ‘projects’ Category
Winners Announced for the NCEM Composers Award 2009
Posted in projects on 21 May 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Seeing is believing
Posted in projects on 14 May 2009 | Leave a Comment »
PP directing Handel's Let God arise in the Grande Salle, Chateau de Flawinne, near Namur, Belgium, on May 10th
Compositions passed for the final round of the BBC/NCEM/Tallis Scholars composition competition
Posted in projects on 21 April 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The successful entries were:
1) Michael Perrett aged 20 a student at the Royal Northern College of Music living in Gosport, Hampshire. Michael’s entry is a setting of words by Isaac Rosenberg.
2) William Blake aged 20 studying at Queens Oxford University living in Beckenham, Kent:
William’s piece is called Why art thou so heavy, O my Soul from Psalm 43 vs 5-6:
Why art thou so heavy, o my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me?
O put my trust in God. For I will yet praise him, my saviour and my God.
3) Paul Edis aged 23 from Durham:
Paul wrote both music and text:
Redemption
To cease to blame, to fail to recall
Would leave no shame or pain at all
To forgive and forget is not easy
To muddle through without reflection.
Grudge ingrained in heart and mind,
Nature’s conviction would see us blind,
And yet, if we could only unwind,
To cease to blame, to fail to recall
Would leave us free of guilt,
Happy, once and for all.
4) Thomas Neal aged 18 from Stockton on Tees:
Thomas’ piece is written in memoriam Josquin des Prez (c1450-1521) and is entitled Pange lingua:
Of the glorious body telling
5) Tom Harrold aged 17 from Glasgow:
Tom’s piece is called The Day is Done with text adapted from Longfellow:
The day is done and the darkness falls from the wings of the night as a feather is wafted downward from an eagle in his flight
And the cares that infest the day shall fold their tents like the Arabs and as silently steal away
6) Elizabeth Edwards aged 16 from Camberley, Surrey:
Elizabeth’s piece is called Arise with text from Isaiah chapter 60:
Arise! Shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
The finals will be held in York on May 14th at the National Centre for Early Music. The judges will be me, Chris Wines (BBC) and Delma Tomlin. The occasion will be hosted by the composer Christopher Fox. See separate post for more details.
Repertoire for the TSSS course in Seattle 2009
Posted in projects, TS Summer Schools on 15 March 2009 | 2 Comments »
The 2009 TSSS course in Seattle will be dedicated to the music of Victoria:
Victoria: Missa pro Victoria (a 9)
Victoria: Requiem (a 6)
Victoria: Responsories for Good Friday (a 4)
Guerrero: Duo Seraphim (a 12)
Guerrero: Hei mihi domine (a 6)
Please visit www.tsss.uk.com for details on how to apply. The course will take place between 25th July and 1st August.
Repertoire for the TSSS Oakham course 2009
Posted in projects, TS Summer Schools on 15 March 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The 10th TSSS Oakham course is a special event, with some special repertoire:
Tallis: Gaude gloriosa
Sheppard Verbum caro
Tallis: In jejunio et fletu
Gibbons: O clap your hands
Tallis: If ye love me
Tallis: O sacrum convivium
Gibbons: Second Service
Byrd: Second Service
The course will take place between July 11th and 18th. For further details please visit http://www.tsss.uk.com
BBC Singers live this Friday
Posted in BBC Singers, projects on 24 February 2009 | 1 Comment »
A reminder that I shall be conducting the BBC Singers live on BBC Radio Three this Friday, February 27th. The broadcast starts at 7.00pm and runs to 9.15pm with a 20 minute interval at about 7.50pm. You can find it at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 and then by following the links to the programme being currently broadcast. I shall be interviewed live from the platform during the concert. I would underline that the programme includes Mundy’s unbelievably splendid Vox patris caelestis.
A two-day masterclass, Namur, Belgium (May 2009)
Posted in projects on 22 February 2009 | Leave a Comment »
On May 9th and 10th, I am taking a two-day masterclass in Namur, Belgium, based in the castle of Flawinne. The music is:
Purcell: My Heart is inditing
Handel: Praised be the Lord (from Chandos Anthem No.11, Let God Arise)
Handel: As Pants the Hart for Cooling Streams
Purcell: Hear My Prayer O Lord
I shall be taking choral and orchestral rehearsals (noting the latter with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, though Benoît Douchy et Bénédicte Pernet will also be doing this) and giving a lecture on Purcell and Handel in the English context at 14.30 on the 10th May.
Late change for BBC Singers (February 23rd – 27th)
Posted in BBC Singers, projects on 18 February 2009 | Leave a Comment »
A quick and urgent announcement that the programme for next week with the BBC Singers has been tweaked and now is:
Tallis: Loquebantur variis linguis
Sheppard: Laudem dicite Deo
Harpsichord solo:
Byrd: Miserere à 3
Byrd: Fantasia
William Mundy: Vox patris caelestis
- interval -
Philip de Monte: Super flumina Babylonis
William Byrd: Quomodo cantabimus
Harpsichord solo:
Byrd: Walsingham
John Bull: Fantasia XII
Peter Phillips: Ave verum corpus
Richard Dering: Ave verum corpus
Harpsichord solo:
Byrd: Miserere à 4
Phillips: Pavan
William Byrd: O Lord, grant Elizabeth our Queen
BBC Singers, February 2009
Posted in BBC Singers, projects on 10 January 2009 | Leave a Comment »
23rd – 27th February 2009
I will be working with the BBC Singers again in February 2009. The performance on Friday 27 February, with Mahan Esfahani (Radio 3 New Generation Artist) on harpsichord and organ, will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Three on Performance on 3 at 1900 from St Paul’s, Knightsbridge, London, UK.
As I went to Walsingham – music by 17th-century English Catholics
The music for the performance will be:
Tallis: Loquebantur variis linguis
Sheppard: Laudem dicite Deo
Harpsichord solo:
Byrd: Miserere à 3
Byrd: Fantasia
William Mundy: Vox patris caelestis
- interval -
Philip de Monte: Super flumina Babylonis
William Byrd: Quomodo cantabimus
Harpsichord solo:
Byrd: Walsingham
John Bull: Fantasia XII
Peter Phillips: Ave verum corpus
Richard Dering: Ave verum corpus
Harpsichord solo:
Byrd: Miserere à 4
Phillips: Pavan
William Byrd: O Lord, grant Elizabeth our Queen
BBC Singers, September 2009
Posted in BBC Singers, projects on 8 January 2009 |
15th – 17th September 2009
On September 15th, 16th and 17th the BBC Singers and I will make a programme for the Early Music Show exploring the musical forebears of Palestrina, especially the rare Italian ones. We will focus on the music of Costanzo Festa, but also include the Lamentations of Carpentras, which were sung in the Sistine Chapel before Palestrina wrote a set to replace them.
The programme will be:
Costanzo Festa and the predecessors of Palestrina
Josquin: Inviolata, integra et casta es Maria
Festa: Miserere
Festa: Inviolata, integra et casta es Maria
Festa: Quam pulchra es
Carpentras: Lamentations (extracts from)
Palestrina: Lamentations
Palestrina: Dum complerentur a 6
Palestrina: Missa Repleatur os meum (extracts from. NB Agnus Dei is 5’30”)
Firminus Le Bel Puer natus est
The recording will take place on Thursday 17 September at St Paul’s, Knightsbridge, London as an Invitation Concert starting at 2.00pm.
