It has reached the last day of 2016 and, as is now customary, here is my year in review.
In summary I was commissioned by The Cottier Chamber Project and Echoes and Traces, recieved performances by Juice Vocal Ensemble, University of Glasgow Chapel Choir, Red Note Ensemble, Electric Clarinet, Cappella Nova, Davur Juul Magnussen trombone ensemble and Carla Rees. Was on a residency with Magnetic North, Anna Unbound was released, started The Night With… and had the support of Creative Scotland and Help Musicians UK. Feels a bit breathless!
2017 is already looking as full. Scottish Opera have commissioned Helene Grøn and I for a short opera as part of Opera Sparks, I’m writing for the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra as part of a scheme run by the Contemporary Music Centre, running five The Night With… concerts, writing a new piece for Emma Lloyd and Joanna Nicholson (which will be recorded thannks to support from the Bliss Trust) and creating new work with Marisa Zanotti.
Year in Numbers
- 1 single released
- 6 new pieces
- 16 performances
- 58 mins written
April and May
After a lot of planning the first two The Night With… concerts happened in the Hug and Pint. The first with Red Note Ensemble performing music for brass trio and electronics (along with my for Matt Mattera) and the second in May with Electric Clarinet with music for clarinet/bass clarinet and electronics along with my Three Pieces for Bass Clarient and Electronics. Got really nice feedback for the concerts so more will be happening in 2017.
Anna Unbound was screened in Glasgow to a full cinema.
June
Always Ever Unknowable premiered as part of the Cottier Chamber Project by Juice Vocal Trio, Glasgow University Chapel Choir and Davur Juul Magnussen trombone ensemble. The text was writen by Helene Grøn and draws on the work of Lord Kelvin and my great uncle John Stewart Bell.
Took a bit of a break for the summer and went to visit friends in London, Paris and Cardiff. Then political darkness descended! Wont mention anything else about that but the fall out is starting to appear in my work.
July
I spent two weeks in Aberdeen as part of Magnetic North’s Rough Mix Residency. Spent the time developing ways to use a Kinect with dancers to control live electronics. It worked as a proof of concept but need to develop the idea into a solid piece. However while there I met Marisa Zanotti a filmmaker and chorographer. Straight after Rough Mix we created Wave Function – Part 1 and since then have been developing numerous ideas for the future.
August and September saw the premiere and touring of Nobilis Humilis by Cappella Nova as part of Echoes and traces over seven concerts around Scotland. Probably the biggest tour any of my music has had. Also Carla Rees rearranged it for flute choir and published it on Tetractys.
October I properly released Exhibition Music, the music from When Two Worlds Collide with Dominika Mayovich last year.
November was a busy month with three concerts in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow with Carla Rees performaing my new contrabass flute piece Dry Vista. Carla has also published the piece on Tetractys.
Also in November I was back to Queen’s University Belfast to perform Unda Malacia at Sonorities Festival.