Child’s Play
In the 1960s Malcolm Williamson wrote a brilliant and popular song cycle on words from Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘A Child’s Garden of Verses’. This year I was asked by soprano Judy Mackerras to write more songs to go with the Williamson.
• The premiere will be on Sunday November 12th at 6.00 pm at St Michael’s, Lewes and the pianist will be Howard Beach.
Urizen
On 27 August there was a wonderful performance of ‘Urizen’ played by Rachel Roberts (viola) and Chris Hopkins (piano) in a typically ingenious programme at the Presteigne Festival. ‘Urizen’ was also given a brilliant performance in Brighton by Ros Hanson (viola) and Steve Carroll-Turner on 11 June!
Clarinet coffee
‘Three Cafés’ for clarinet and piano are not too difficult or too serious!
‘New York Café, Rio Café and, of course, ‘Paris Café.
In Time
Yoko Ono included my ‘Period Pieces’ for piano in her recital on Wednesday 28th June at St Nicholas church in Brighton. The pieces follow the form of dances from a baroque suite – Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue. Hear the Gigue on Soundcloud
Chidiock’s End
Chidiock Tichborne was only 24 years old when he was brutally executed by being hanged, drawn, and quartered for his role in the Babington Plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I in 1586. His ‘Elegy’, (‘My Prime of Youth is but a Frost of Cares’) written on the eve of his execution was sent to his wife and remains his most famous poem. This short piece for brass instruments is suitably dramatic and tragic.
Hear it on Soundcloud
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.