NEWS
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JESSE
TAKES SHAPE |
| Initial writing
is underway on Michael's first opera which takes the athlete
Jesse Owens as its core subject. The extraordinary life
of arguably the greatest Olympian is a perfect subject
for the Olympic year 2012. Famous for winning four gold
medals in the 1936 Hitler Olympics, Jesse suffered the
extremes of racial prejudice and poverty both before and
after Berlin. Forced into racing motorbikes and horses,
Jesse demonstrated a quiet dignity throughout. |
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| DARWIN
SPONSOR |
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We are delighted
to announce that a major sponsor has come forward to support
the recording of Age of Wonders, a work to commemorate
last year's anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin.
With so many excellent partners in the project, options
are currently being explored to identify the best way
forward. |
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IMPACT
AWARD |
| A new fund,
Impact, set up by Arts Council South West, has announced
in June 2010 support for a number of new projects. Amongst
these is Michael's writing of the opera Jesse,
planned for it première in 2012. 'This is an enormous
boost to the project and has enabled the writing to begin',
says Michael. 'ACE SW has been extremely helpful with
this opera and I am delighted with the award'. A blog
on the artistic approach and plan of the opera will appear
shortly on this website. |
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| THANK
YOU FROM DARWIN |
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Letter from
Darwin."We write to thank you for your involvement
in, and contribution to, Origins. What an epic production!...Audience
estimates indicate we had about 3,000 people come through
the area over the course of the evening and so, despite
some fear and trepidation about competing with Territory
Day celebrations, this turn out is a great success and
testament to both the support bases of participating organisations
and the public being open to an alternative to fireworks."
Read full text here |
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NEW
WORKS |
| Three new
works are at their early planning stage. A well-overdue
piece for flute; a new choral work for 2012, and on a
far larger scale, the preparation for Michael's first
opera. Taking an Olympic theme as its background, preparation
is ongoing to have the first performance ready for 2012. |
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| PRELUDES
FOR PIANO |
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Since the
completion of the four-stage Charles Darwin work Michael
has put the finishing touches to a new set of Preludes
for Piano. Preludes In Our Time is a comment on
today's society and have a rather unusual structure. Each
doubles in length with the last Prelude having codas for
its own, and the previous four Preludes. The première
is being scheduled for 2010/11.
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REVISION
COMPLETE |
| Sonata
for Piano Trio, completed in 1996, has undergone an
extensive revision in preparation for performances in
2010. Originally presented at London's Purcell Room, this
early work of Michael's received excellent reviews from
The Strad and other music journals. The number 'three'
pervades the whole work: three subjects, three movements,
and three episodes in its final rondo form. See the Listen
page for the opening of the work. |
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| AN
ENTANGLED BANK IN PLYMOUTH |
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Conductor
Simon Ible and the Ten Tors orchestra presented last October
another UK performance of An Entangled Bank, for string
orchestra. The programme, entitled 'Darwin's Finches',
links the work to one of the most famous pieces of Darwin's
great nephew (Ralph Vaughan Williams) The Lark Ascending.
See Concert Information on this site for further information. |
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SPECTACULAR
DARWIN CELEBRATION |
| The
Shadow Minister of Australian Arts, Alderman, Mayor, and
an audience of over 1,000 were present on July 1st for
the World premiere of Transmutations and
the first performance of all four sections of Age of
Wonders in one concert. Set to theatre, lighting
and fireworks, the event marked Northern Territory Day
and the opening of the Darwin Bell sculpture by Anton
Hasell. For more photos click here |
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BLAKE
RECORDING
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Plans are
now underway for the inclusion of Michael's choral work
(Songs of Innocence and Experience) in a forthcoming CD
of the Exmoor Singers of London. The choir, conducted
by James Jarvis, premièred the work on July 28th
2007. Written for mezzo-soprano, baritone and unaccompanied
choir, this substantial new work commemorated the 250th
anniversary of the birth of William Blake and has had
further performances at St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the
Purcell Room.
The first and last movements can be heard on the Listen
page of this website
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