Carl Ruggles: Men and Mountains Context American composer Carl Ruggles only composed a small selection of works in his lifetime. However, he was one to constantly revise his works, so many of his compositions have various changes as time went on. His orchestral work Men and Mountains was composed in Read more…
Dana Suesse: Concerto in 3 Rhythms Context Dana Suesse was born in 1909 in Kansas City. There is not much information on Suesse’s earlier life, but we know that whilst she was still young she travelled around the Midwest Vaudeville circuit, performing both on the piano and as a dancer. Read more…
George Butterworth: The Banks of the Greenwillow Context George Butterworth was born in Paddington, 1885. Soon after his birth the Butterworth family moved to moved to Yorkshire. His mother was a singer, and she was his first major influence in the world of music. Butterworth began composing at an early Read more…
Alfred Reed: Second Suite for Band (Latino Mexicana) Context Alfred Reed was born in 1921 in New York. He has composed lots of music for a variety of ensembles including concert and wind bands, symphonic orchestras and choral groups. Throughout his long and prosperous lifetime, Reed traveled around the world Read more…
James MacMillan: A Child’s Prayer Context Scottish composer James MacMillan (b.1959) composed the choral work A Child’s Prayer in memory of the victims in the Dunblane tragedy of 1996. The massacre took place in March 1996, where a shooter entered a primary school and shot sixteen children and their teacher, Read more…
Sheila Silver: Nocturne Context Sheila Silver is an American-born composer who grew up in Seattle. She began receiving piano lessons from the age of 5 and her love and passion for music grew and grew until she earned her place at the University of California, Berkeley. She graduated with a Bachelor Read more…
Sofia Gubaidulina: Duo for Two Bassoons Context Sofia Gubaidulina was born and raised in the Kazan region of the (former) Soviet Union. Whilst growing up she was influenced by both Eastern and Western cultures due to her father being a Muslim, and her mother a Russian Orthodox. Whilst starting her Read more…
Ferde Grofé: Mississippi Suite Context Ferdinand Grofé was born in New York City in 1892, and was lucky enough to be born into a musical family. His father was a classical baritone singer, his mother a professional cellist. As well as this, his mother Elsa also taught Ferde the piano and Read more…
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet Overture-Fantasy Context Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy is a symphonic poem-like work that encapsulates the tragic love story between Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This piece of programme music went through three stages of being re-drafted and manipulated by Tchaikovsky until the version Read more…
Malcolm Arnold: Three Sea Shanties Context Composed in 1943 for Wind Quintet, Malcolm Arnold’s Three Sea Shanties are full of character and exciting twists and turns. Set into three movements, each little ditty pays homage to a different sea shanty. The three short movements offer a playful take on these Read more…