Akhmatova

Desendit free download

player : 6 clips from his choral and orchestral works
Desendit. Akhmatova. Sinfonia : part 1 & 2 Double Concerto : part 1 & 2

I was born in 1949, at Polegate in Sussex, and educated at Lewes Grammar School and University College, Cardiff, where my teachers included Alun Hoddinott and Arnold Whittall. After graduating B.Mus in 1973 and M.Mus in 1974, I studied at the Dartington Summer Schools with Peter Maxwell Davies.
From 1976 – 78, I worked as music organiser at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, before becoming composer-in-residence for Eastern Arts. Following a period of free-lancing, I now teach music for the Education Faculty of Cambridge University and work as Director of Music at Homerton College.
In 1983, The Magic Mountain was chosen for the ISCM Festival in Denmark, and the BBC commissioned White Winter, Black Spring for the 1985 Huddersfield Festival. Faustus, for large orchestra, was also commissioned in 1986 for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Other works have been commissioned by the Kings Lynn and Aldeburgh Festivals, and my Double Concerto for trumpet, saxophone and orchestra was written in 1994 for John Wallace, John Harle and the City of London Sinfonia, conducted at its premiere by Richard Hickox.
From 1996, I worked for a D.Phil with Martin Butler at Sussex University, graduating in 2000. The central work of my submission, The Floating World for mezzo-soprano is provisionally scheduled for inclusion in the 2007 season of the Philharmonic at the University of Herts, who also commissioned Akhmatova Songs for their 2005 Mayfest.

List of Compositions

ORCHESTRA (including voice, and soloist with orchestra)
NIGHT SEA JOURNEY (1975) formerly Im Zauberkreis der Nacht full orchestra
SOLSTICE (1978) full orchestra
THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN (1979) pfte and full orchestra
FAUSTUS (1986) full orchestra
THE FLOATING WORLD (1999) m-sop and orchestra

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (including solist(s) with chamber orchestra)
SINFONIA (1988) 1.1.1.alto sax.1; 2.1.0.0; strings
CONCERTO DA CAMERA (1990) 1.1.1.1; 2.1.0.0; strings
DOUBLE CONCERTO (1993) tpt, alto sax, strings, pfte, perc
AURORA (1996) 1.1.1.1; 2.1.0.0; timps, 2 perc; hrp; strings
VIOLA CONCERTO (2002) vla, 1.1.1.sop sax. alto sax.1; 2.0.0.0; hrp; 2 perc; strings

CHAMBER / INSTRUMENTAL
ROUND (1974) fl, cl, vla, vc, pfte
ANGELUS (1975) fl, ob, vln, vc, glockenspiel
SE LA FACE AY PALE (1977) fl, cl, vln, vc, perc
13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A BLACKBIRD (1978) ob, hrp. hpscd, vln, vla, vc
THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING (1978) fl, cl, vln/vla, vc, pfte, perc
ABSCHIED (1978) vc
THE GOLDEN FLOWER (1979) alto fl
FUGA CANONICA (1981) fl, cl, vln, vc, hpscd
LIERNES (1981) fl, pfte
CANTILEVER (1982) fl, ob, cl, bsn, vln, vla, vc, pfte
ELECTIVE AFFINITIES (1983) ob, bsn, vln, vc, pfte
8 PIECES FOR ALTO SAXOPHONE AND PIANO (1987)
OUTLINE (2004) ob

PIANO
FOUR PIECES FOR PIANO (1974) formerly Cruciform
BEYOND (1982)
AQUAMARINE (1982)
SONATA FOR PIANO (1991)

VOCAL (with ensemble)
NOCHE OSCURA (1976) sop, fl, cl, vla, vc, gtr
O VIRGO VIRGINUM (1977) sop, m-sop, fl, cl, vln, vla, vc
FOR THE FAR JOURNEY (1981) sop, fl, cl, vln, vc, hpscd
WHITE WINTER, BLACK SPRING (1985) ten, bar, fl, ob, cl, alto sax, bsn, hrn, tpt, tbn, 2 vln, vla, vc, db
SONNET (1987) sop, ten, bar, fl, ob, cl, bsn, hrn, hrp, vln, vla, vc
IN THE WHITE HOURS (1989) sop, sop sax, cl, vla, vc
THREE CHINESE LYRICS (1991) sop, fl, vla
CANTATA (1992) sop, bar, 2 ob, bsn, 2 vla, vc, hpscd
AKHMATOVA SONGS (2005) m-sop, fl, cl, hrn, hrp, vln, vc

VOCAL (with piano)
THE BOOK OF PICTURES (1985) m-sop, pfte
WATCHING THE PERSEIDS (2006) sop, pfte

VOCAL (solo)
CHINESE LYRIC (1987) sop
SEVENTH SONG (1991) sop

CHORAL
INTROIT, KYRIE AND GRADUALE (1980) SATB double choir
IMPRESSIONS (1997) SSAA
THE TASK (2004) SATB
DESCENDIT SICUT PLUVIA (2005) SATB