NEWS – Page 2 – Sound World

News

Composing Workshops

The first of this year’s composing workshops will take place at Bristol Grammar School on Sunday 19th March.

Our workshops are an opportunity for the next generation of musicians to have their work performed and recorded by professional musicians with guidance from leading composers. These inspiring events provide provide invaluable, high-level guidance to the region’s brightest young musical talents.

We are delighted to have players from the Bristol Ensemble with us on the day and our own Sadie Harrison leading..

New Sound World Sounds

Sally Beamish: Sound World Sounds

For our latest Sound World Sounds we are delighted to welcome Sally Beamish. Sally has chosen Mark-Anthony Turnage’s 1988 opera Greek, based on the Steven Berkoff play of the same name.

Click here to read more.

News

SoundWorld auditions

We are currently auditioning some of the region’s most talented young musicians for our new, contemporary music ensemble. A big thank you goes to all those who played for us and to composer Michael Ellison who joined fellow composers Sadie Harrison (Chair of the Sound World trustees) and Julian Leeks (Sound World Director) for the auditions.

Thanks also to Bristol University Music Dept. for hosting.

A second round of auditions will take place in the spring, with an announcement coming shortly after.

News

Hinrichsen Foundation funding

More good funding news comes courtesy of the Hinrichsen Foundation who will be supporting our 2023 programme. Many thanks to the Hinrichsen trustees for their faith and generosity!

News

Funding news from VWF

We are delighted to announce that the Vaughan Williams Foundation (formerly RVW Trust) will be supporting our 2023 programme. We are hugely grateful for this and their ongoing funding of Sound World/NMSW over the past decade. Thank you!

News

Applications open for spring workshop series

Sound World is now taking applications for our spring 2023 composition workshop series. The workshops provide participants (aged from 14 to 18) with the chance to have their music performed/recorded by professional musicians under guidance from a leading composer.

There are usually 5 or 6 performers and a typical line up would be flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin and cello. Each participating pupil will get ½hr during which their piece will be performed “as presented”, discussed with the performers and w/s leader and then performed/recorded incorporating any developments that arose during the discussion.

The best pieces will be considered for inclusion in the Sound World Group’s 2023 concert tour, alongside new commissions and contemporary classics.

Applications should generally be made through school music depts. to info@sound-world.org.

Recommendations

Sadie Harrison: Pasture and Storm

9th September sees the launch of a new CD and the live premières new music by chair of the Sound World board of trustees and renowned composer Sadie Harrison.

Performed by Nicholas McCarthy and the Bristol Ensemble, under the baton of conductor John Pickard, the programme is described as “a kaleidoscope of musical moods and influences – joyful dances based on medieval tunes, poignant laments from Afghanistan, the drama of a Spanish bullfight and a gentle pastorale at dusk.”

The full programme is:
Alexander Scriabin Nocturne op 9 for left hand
Sadie Harrison
Kabul: When I wake at midnight for left hand piano duet
I kiss the earth (voice and left hand piano)
The People of His Pasture (left hand piano and ensemble Mvt III)
The Book of Storms and Mists (left hand piano Mvt I)
The Nightingales of Afghanistan (solo left hand piano and ensemble)
Béla Bartók Study for the left hand in Bb major
Sadie Harrison
Round Dances (flute and piano)
I shan’t be gone long (violin and left hand piano)
Sergei Rachmaninov Prelude in G minor (arranged for left hand by Nicholas McCarthy)

Tickets and further details here: https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/whats-on/pasture-storm/

News

W/S series and concerts cancelled

We are very disappointed to announce that the workshop series planned for this spring along with the associated concerts has been cancelled. Unfortunately some of the participating schools still have concerns in relation to COVID and having external visitors to the school sites.

Because the two sides of the project (the workshops and the concerts) are mutually dependent it’s an all or nothing situation and we have had to cancel everything.

Huge apologies go to all the young composers who had been working towards these workshops, to the performers and to the audience members.

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Arts Council England to support concerts/workshops

We are delighted to announce that ACE will be supporting our spring workshops series and concerts. The workshops will provide young composers with the chance to have their music played and recorded by professional performers from the Bristol Ensemble under guidance from leading composers.

Pieces of sufficient quality will be considered for inclusion in two concert in Bristol and Shaftesbury. These concerts will be performed by Bristol Ensemble and will feature music by Iannis Xenakis, Eleanor Alberga and the world premières of two specially commissioned new pieces by Sally Beamish and Gavin Bryars.

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Sally Beamish April

April, the piece that Sally wrote for Reflections our covid project album was given its live première on 21st November at St. Anne’s church in Lewes. Originally written for saxophone, marimba and piano, this new arrangement for viola and piano was performed by Sally herself and pianist Nancy Cooley.