Three new PMM titles have been released today.
Wind Band
Origins is a concerto for euphonium, commissioned by Marco Schneider, Adrian Schneider and the China Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra. Origins has been performed regularly in China as well as at the ITEC (International Tuba and Euphonium Conference in Linz, Austria) and the World Band Festival in Lucerne. You can hear the whole of Origins on my soundcloud page, and you can find more information about the piece on this site by clicking here.
Maiden Voyage (Hymn for a Ship of Sorrow), a grade 3 work commemorating the 100th annivsersary of the sinking of The Titanic, was commissioned by Bruce Hicks and The Archbishop Beck School Wind Band. The work is constructed as a series of short hymns and songs – perhaps in memory of those who died 100 years ago, or maybe the memories of those on The Titanic as they were about to perish. As I was commissioned by a school in Liverpool, I wanted Maiden Voyage to have a clear connection to the city – so the work begins and ends with a sounding of the ship’s bell which was cast in the Liverpool area. More information on the piece here.
Brass Band
The Pohutukawa Stands: The earthquake that hit Christchurch in February 2011 took the lives of 181 people. Being asked to write this work in their memory was an honour, but I didn’t want it to simply be performed as a memorial. I wanted to compose a work that conveyed the sadness and grief for those lost – a work of remembrance – but also a piece of music that represented peace, hope and strength.
The title and dedication come direct from the commissioners of the work, Woolston Brass Band. The Pohutukawa trees stay standing and secure, defiant of the earthquake, in Christchurch’s ‘Garden City’, and the Pohutukawa tree also has special significance beyond their physical appearance. More information and a recording can be found here.