Tuesday, 7 July 2009
More on the BBC competition
Peter Kingston has written an article (in the guardian today), with online mirror here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jul/07/young-composers-competition
It is indeed me at the top, staring intently at my set of headphones for no apparent reason.
This is the first time I've been put in a paper - and it's pretty exciting (although I didn't expect the piece to go through, as wild as it is; I'm not sure I was prepared to answer the question "is it playable?"). Also, to clarify, I'm not a composer in association with the NYO, as Kingston suggests. Peter has also paraphrased my comments - I don't think I ever said I would try "to do my own thing" or "use my voice", statements that are clichés. I seem to remember talking more about being influenced by the kind of radical thought processes that lie behind avant-garde music, rather than (particularly), the music itself. I am not conscious of a piece of music that might be seen as "model" for Oy, but technically, there are things that are similar to other pieces. But I do have to thank Peter and the Guardian for letting my face grace their pages; I hope some people will read it.
This is a massive project for all of us, with this joint "Fanfares" composition for the Last Night of the Proms. Essentially, we're picking up where Anna Meredith left off last year, utilising all of the ensembles around the country, hooked up using technology. I am not proud of the Last Night, the forced patriotism and joviality is not a comfortable environment, as far as I'm concerned; nevertheless this is a mind-bogglingly huge audience to have one's music presented to. Literally, millions of people. The biggest audience I will ever have.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jul/07/young-composers-competition
It is indeed me at the top, staring intently at my set of headphones for no apparent reason.
This is the first time I've been put in a paper - and it's pretty exciting (although I didn't expect the piece to go through, as wild as it is; I'm not sure I was prepared to answer the question "is it playable?"). Also, to clarify, I'm not a composer in association with the NYO, as Kingston suggests. Peter has also paraphrased my comments - I don't think I ever said I would try "to do my own thing" or "use my voice", statements that are clichés. I seem to remember talking more about being influenced by the kind of radical thought processes that lie behind avant-garde music, rather than (particularly), the music itself. I am not conscious of a piece of music that might be seen as "model" for Oy, but technically, there are things that are similar to other pieces. But I do have to thank Peter and the Guardian for letting my face grace their pages; I hope some people will read it.
This is a massive project for all of us, with this joint "Fanfares" composition for the Last Night of the Proms. Essentially, we're picking up where Anna Meredith left off last year, utilising all of the ensembles around the country, hooked up using technology. I am not proud of the Last Night, the forced patriotism and joviality is not a comfortable environment, as far as I'm concerned; nevertheless this is a mind-bogglingly huge audience to have one's music presented to. Literally, millions of people. The biggest audience I will ever have.
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