Period Pieces
Written in lockdown, these four short keyboard pieces follow an imagined baroque suite in form (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue) but not in style: not quite old and not quite new! PDF available from me.
Hear the Gigue on Soundcloud
BoBop
Fenella Humphries included a superb performance of my ‘BoBop’ for solo violin in her lockdown concert on 5th July, together with pieces by Biber and Schubert and the premiere of ‘Caged Bird’ by Alison Berry. See it all on YouTube at
bit.ly/fenellaconcert19
(Bobop starts at about 34′)
A Winner!
Great review of the Simplicius CD in MusicWeb International!
“A varied and affecting programme of music by a rarely recorded contemporary British composer … Claudio Records has come up with a winner here. The music is involving and interesting, the performances very good and the recording outstanding …. makes a good case for saying more Hawkins please”
http://johnhawkinsmusic.co.uk/simplicius-music-for-clarinet-cd/
Odd Ode
In a poetic palinode the writer retracts a view expressed in an earlier piece … but, sadly, like so many other events, the May 27th performance in the wonderful St Anne’s concert series of my own ‘Palinode’ quintet has had to be temporarily retracted!
On Your Own?
For those working from home, here are some pieces I have written for solo instruments you could try!
Solo ‘Cello
‘Stranger, Lover, Dancer’: Three pieces written for and premiered by Jessie Richardson (of the Piatti Quartet) in the Cheltenham Festival and subsequently played at the Presteigne Festival by Alice Neary. Published by Comus Edition
Solo Piano
‘Variations‘: Described by MusicWeb International as ‘A minor masterpiece in its own right’ and recorded by Kathron Sturrock on my ‘Voices from the Sea’ CD
‘Marcel Morceaux‘ – three pieces in a French mood written in memory of mime artist Marcel Marceau. Not yet performed! – sheet music available from me
Solo Violin or viola
‘BoBop‘: a five-minute jazz-inspired showpiece written for Emily Pringle and recorded by Thomas Gould on his ‘Bach to Parker’ CD. Published by Comus Edition
Solo Oboe
‘Disturbed Nights‘: increasingly fretful variations written for an oboe-playing baby sitter, recorded by Christopher O’Neal on ‘Voices from the Sea’. Also available for solo flute. Sheet music available from me
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.