Joe's Notes

A Week until Notes on Love

2007-02-02T19:49:00.000Z

Less than a week until Notes on Love. You can still buy tickets for this exciting event at www.sjss.org.uk - there aren't many left but there are a few.

Following our warm up gig on the 25th January, I can promise you it'll be a fantastic evening.

Notes on Love Update and Sweet Charity @ Drury Lane

2006-12-04T20:01:00.000Z

The Notes on Love website has finally been launched...although in its infancy, it will display more extensive information about the project very soon. Importantly, it has ticket and venue information, plus a charming photo of the lovely Sarah Moule and Alice de Ville who'll be singing the new piece. The new work is taking fantastic shape and Adam Goodyer's poems are fantastic (his new website is also in the pipeline). The website address is www.notesonlove.com.

The other major event, in a completely different vein, will be on Sunday 10th December at the Drury Lane Theatre, where I will be Assistant Musical Director for a one-off performance of the 60s classic, Sweet Charity. This unique performance is being hosted by Gail Porter, and rumour has it that Barbara Windsor will be selling programmes in the foyer! This fantastic music features a young professional cast and a top live band and all proceeds from the event will go to the British Heart Foundation. What makes the project especially exciting (and daunting!) is that we are assembling, staging and choreographing the entire show in 48 hours, so do come along and see if we managed it!! Further info about this show can be found at www.myspace.com/showtimechallenge and www.sweetcharitythemusical.co.uk.

New Christmas Carols

2006-11-15T22:58:00.000Z

This latest post is to let you know about a series of performances I have of new Christmas Carols that I have written this year.

The first is Adam lay y-bounden which is to be performed by the New Cambridge Singers in Cambridgeshire on December 9th and 14th - check out www.myspace.com/composerjoe for the venue and time details. This is one of 6 six settings of this same Medieaval text especially commissioned for the choir.

The other is Sled Ride, a new carol for actors' chorus. This work was commissioned by Lynda Richardson, and her chorus from the Mountview Academy will be singing this piece in their Christmas Carol Service at St. Paul's, Covent Garden Plaza on Friday 8th December at both 6pm and 8pm. The poetry for this piece was written by my good friend Adam Goodyer, who has also produced the lyrics for the John Smith Square Love Songs - more information on these to follow.

Hermit Songs @ Southwark Cathedral

2006-09-27T10:36:00.000Z

This is a post in my other guise - as a pianist. I will be accompanying Eleanor Rastall (soprano) at Southwark Cathedral on Tuesday 10th October at 3.15 in a performance of Samuel Barber's beautiful Hermit Songs as well as arias by Handel and my own realisation of the 16th-century carol, Upon my Lap my Sovereign Sits. We'll also be doing a preview recital of the same material at St Magnus-the-Martyr in the City of London (just round the corner from Monument Tube) next Thursday (5th) at 1.05. These concerts are part of an ongoing recital series promoted by Concert Bites, Eleanor's own company - check out her website for more info about these concerts and other musical services that she offers: www.concertbites.co.uk

The myspace page is now set up with some tracks so do go and have a listen.

Myspace Launch

2006-09-14T23:34:00.000Z

I've now managed to get myself a page on myspace. At the moment, there's nothing on there that can't be found here...much less in fact, but before long, I'll upload some music onto there.

In the meantime the myspace page is http://www.myspace.com/109967603 - I gather I can get a name instead of a number, but haven't figured that out yet. Getting there though...

...rounded with a sleep

2006-09-13T09:45:00.000Z

...rounded with a sleep is my latest work, composed for orchestra, and inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest. It receives its first performance by the Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra on Friday September the 22nd at 4.15 in the Duke's Hall at the Royal Academy of Music. At the bargain price of free admission.

This post is also to advertise the Royal Academy Graduate Showcase at the same venue on Monday, October 9th at 7.30. This is a chance to get a taster of this year's graduating composers' music, and will feature 10-minute spotlights on each of us. Performing at this will be members of the 2005/6 Year Out Drama Company performing my setting of Shakespeare's 130th Sonnet, My Mistress Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun and an excerpt from my song cycle It was only the Angels who Sang. Word on the street is there will be booze at this event too...

First Autumn Update

2006-09-01T10:28:00.000Z

It's been a while since an update - and sadly a number of events have been and gone - this won't happen again. Been up in Edinburgh with the Year Out Drama Company as Musical Director for their annual Fringe show. This year, we put on The Tempest - a 40-minute devised retelling of the story, complete with physical theatre, live music and dance.

The next event will be on Friday, the 22nd September at the Royal Academy of Music. This will be the premiere of my new piece for full symphony orchestra. Times are to be confirmed so I'll post these up as soon as I know them.

A date for the diary in February: Sarah Moule (soprano) and Alice de Ville (Mezzo) are performing at St John Smith Square on the 8th February. This is a big charity event in support of the Cancer Vaccine Institute. This concert, entitled Notes on Love will feature the world premiere of a new cycle of eight 1-miute songs on the theme of love. These new piece mark my first collaboration with poet Adam Goodyer since our song cycle It was only the Angels who Sang was first performed at St Martin-in-the-Fields last December. You can check out information about the concert here as well as our website www.notesonlove.com, which should be online very soon.

More concert details to follow.

"I can Sing and Speak in many Sorts of Music"

2006-06-16T16:53:00.000Z

This quotation from 12th Night of Shakespeare's is the title of my upcoming concert presentation at the Royal Academy of Music. This is the composer’s equivalent to a finals recital and will take place at the Academy in the David Josefowitz Recital Hall on Monday 26th June at 6.30 pm.

I am delighted to have the entire Year Out Drama Company making the journey down from Stratford-upon-Avon to the event, who will be singing two pieces of mine, a setting of Shakespeare’s 130th Sonnet, My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun, and Mirroring the Voice, a riotous concoction of musical theatre, opera, barbershop, jazz, pop and more besides! As a special treat, they will also be performing the glorious Act 1 finale to Sunday in the Park with George, Stephen Sondheim’s great musical from the early 1980s.

Alongside this will be another chance to hear a selection from my song cycle, It was only the Angels who Sang, with words by Adam Goodyer and performed by many of the work’s original interpreters. The three songs chosen will feature some of the work’s most violent and lyrical passages, by way of emphasising the binding element that links the whole concert – music and theatre.

The event is free, and should last for about an hour.

Spaces and Places: COMA @ Spitalfields 17th June

2006-06-04T16:18:00.000Z

Shamefully long time since I updated this. The London Sinfonietta gig was a great success - it's great to hear such brilliant performances when the players have only run through the pieces three times before the gig itself!

The next concert will be on June 17th, as part of the Spitalfields Festival. My piece, Sunday Afternoon on Radcliffe Square has been selected for performance in the COMA Ensemble's (that's Contemporary Music for Amateurs - not sure if the acronym is supposed to be ironic!) contribution to this year's festival. The piece is written using an open score, so the instrumental line-up is dependent on who shows up on the day - from experience in rehearsals, there are normally a helluva lot of cellos and the odd enthusiastic wind player. There's also an evil piano part in it!

It should be an excellent concert though, and the players commit to their work with an energy and enthusiasm that put most professional musicians to shame. They'll also be premiering specially commissioned works by other composers far more emminent than myself. I believe Michael Nyman may feature, but I could well be making that up. So it'll be well worth checking out.

Being free, the price is right.

Christ Church, Spitalfields (near Liverpool St Tube) @ 7pm, 17th June.

London Sinfonietta Gig @ The Queen Elizabeth Hall, 30th May 2006

2006-05-16T17:17:00.000Z

My new work for the London Sinfonietta, Kamila, will receive its world premiere at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Tuesday 30th May at 4.30 (not 5pm as originally billed). Scored for wind quintet plus bass clarinet, it is being programmed with a number of pieces by other Academy composers for the same ensemble. The concert is free and should last for an hour.

Spectrum Concert @ The Royal Academy

2006-05-11T16:00:00.000Z

On Wednesday, Thalia Myers, distinguished pianist and founder of the Spectrum series of contemporary piano music will be in concert at the Royal Academy. She will be playing a series of new piano works, inspired by Spectrum 4, a publication of piano pieces that are musically challenging but technically easy to play.

Among these compositions is my new piano piece, Gulf. I will also be performing Elly Brookes' piece, Narcissus, in duet with Thalia. The concert begins at 1.05 in the Concert Room at the Royal Academy of Music.

Advance Announcement

2006-04-24T09:08:00.001Z

I am currently writing a new sextet for the London Sinfonietta that enters its first workshop tomorrow (Tueday 25th). The sketches so far are unnamed, but will be soon! The piece is to receive its first performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank on May 30th at 5pm. It's a free concert, before the billed Berg gig performed on the same night.

Introductory Post

2006-04-20T12:27:00.000Z

Here's a chance to update you all on new musical works in the pipeline and those due for upcoming performances. The first installments should be appearing very soon.