Times on hands
Just in case you have … here are some recordings of Hawkins pieces on Youtube
First string quartet (1976) played by James Toll, Guy Button (violins), John Crockatt (viola) and Jonathan Rees (‘cello) in 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbwaslLhZl8
‘Urizen’ played by Paul Silverthorne (viola) and Aglaia Tarantino (piano) at LSO St Luke’s in 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-NfGIbhXqs
‘Fuzon’ played by the Piatti Quartet live at ‘Rencontres Musicales ProQuartet en Seine-et-Marne’ in 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFElZOSC6oU
All wonderful performances!
Party Piece
On March 7th, the wonderful Cuatro Puntos group with Alexander Kollias (clarinet) gave the first public performance of ‘Party Piece’ which was written for a birthday party back in 2004. Five minutes of Klezmer-slanted music for clarinet and two violas ends wildly! The concert called ‘Klezmer Dreams’ iwas in the USA at Glastonbury CT on the 7th and Hertford CT on the 8th. The piece is described by the group as “an upbeat knee-slapper imbued with the spirit of traditional Klezmer.” !
Fauxsong
On Tuesday 10th March at the Chapel Royal, Brighton 1.00 pm will be the first performance of a new short piece for violin, ‘cello and guitar ‘Fauxsong’ played by Paul Gregory (guitar), Manon Derome (violin) and Anthony Pleeth (‘cello).
For These
The Manchester choir Altèri commissioned a setting of the WWI war poet Edward Thomas’s ‘For these’ from me. [“For these I ask not, but, neither too late/ Nor yet too early, for what men call content,/ And also that something may be sent/ To be contented with, I ask of Fate.”]. I counterpointed the poem with parts of the Te Deum. It was Altèri’s first commission and on March 10th they are including it in their 25th anniversary concert at St James’ church in Gatley.
https://alterichamberchoir.com/
Breather
My Clarinet Sonata, which was described by Musical Opinion as “compact and gloriously melodic … a fine contribution to the genre” was played at the Horsham Music Circle on Saturday 15th February 7.30 pm and then at the lunchtime concert on Tuesday 18th February, 1.10 pm at the lovely Chapel Royal, Brighton all by the same artists (Steve Dummer and Yoko Ono) as on the Simplicius CD.
Chapel Royal, Brighton, 164 North St, Brighton BN1 1EA
John Hawkins studied composition with Malcolm Williamson and Elisabeth Lutyens. He has written a wide range of chamber, vocal, choral and orchestral pieces, which have been performed worldwide.