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Composing music is a bit like juggling whilst riding a unicycle: what a wonderful feeling to keep all the balls in the air and not fall off! But this is only possible after a few preliminaries have been taken care of. First one has to invent the wheel (not to mention the ball, and the rest of the unicycle) and there are so many concepts that must be understood and internalized, not least how gravity works and how it may be used. Much of the attraction with writing music is in going back to first principles: in theory anything can happen and the only limitation is the imagination of the composer. In other words it is not easy, but the challenge is irresistible. The best thing about composing is that after all of this hard work it really is a privilege to work with some of the finest musicians around.

Latest News:

Three Worlds Released on CD

A new recording of Richard Whalley’s Three Worlds, performed by the composer, has been released by Prima Facie recordings (PFCD003). Entitled Dreams and Dances, this CD also includes music by Anthony Gilbert, Beth Wiseman, Giles Easterbrook, John McCabe, Camden Reeves and Stephen Plews. More details at Prima Facie’s website.

Residency at Aram-Poitou Festival, in France

Since 2010 I have spent a week each August at the Aram-Poitou Festival in France, where I assisted Peter Swinnen with the running of the Composition Masterclass, given chamber music coaching and performed in the Concerts en nos Villages series. Aram-Poitou is a summer school with courses for composers and performers (amateurs to young professionals), set in a beautiful unspoilt corner of France, run by musicians who are passionate about their art. It’s wonderful way to spend part of the summer, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Feast for the Senses CD to be released in Autumn 2012

This CD will consist of the following works:

A Very Serious Game – performed by Ensemble 10/10
Ad Infinitum – performed by Caroline Balding (violin)
Tachophobia – performed by Oliver Coates (cello)
Intoxicating Orchids – performed by Vaganza Soloists

Recording for this is now complete, and the quality of performance is truly exciting. The CD will be released in by Prima Facie Records in Autumn 2012, and to order a copy to be sent to you, please click here (and send the form to me at the address on the letter).

 

Events in 2012

Thursday 23rd February, 1.10pm
Lunchtime Song Recital with Jeremy Huw Williams
Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, University of Manchester, M13 9PL

Beethoven An die ferne Geliebte, Op.98
Richard Whalley Six Songs of Old Japanese Wisdom
Paul Mealor Twilight (English première)

Jeremy Huw Williams – Baritone
Richard Whalley – Piano

 

Wednesday 29th February, 1.10pm
Twenty-First Century Song Recital
PATS Studio One, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH

David Power Eight Evening Songs
Tom Armstrong Opened Spaces
Peter Reynolds Adieu to All Alluring Toys
Richard Whalley Six Songs of Old Japanese Wisdom
Steve Crowther Songs for Don

Paul Carey Jones – Baritone
Ian Ryan - Piano

 

Wednesday 7th March, 7.30pm
Ensemble 10/10 Music Theatre Night
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Hope Street Liverpool, L1 9BP

Adam Gorb Anya 17 (World premiere)
Ailís Ní Ríain In Sleep...
Richard Whalley A Very Serious Game (World premiere)
Yu Oda New Work

Clark Rundell – Conductor



Thursday 8th March, 1.10pm
New Music North West FestivalQuatuor Danel
Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, University of Manchester, M13 9PL

Richard Whalley Interlocking Melodies
Cho Yen Lee New work
Camden Reeves Dactylozooid Complex (String quartet No. 2)
Philip Grange Ghosts of Great Violence (world première)

Marc Danel, Gilles Millet – Violins
Vlad Bogdanas – Viola
Guy Danel – Cello



Friday 9th March, 7.30pm
New Music North West Festival – Ensemble 10/10
RNCM Concert Hall, Manchester

Adam Gorb Anya 17
Ailís Ní Ríain In Sleep.
Richard Whalley A Very Serious Game
Colin Matthews L, bent

Clark Rundell – Conductor

 

Saturday 4th August, 7.30pm
York Late Music Festival – Paul Carey Jones (baritone) and Ian Ryan (piano)
St Saviourgate Unitarian Chapel, York, YO1 8NQ
'Adieu to all alluring toys' – a celebration of British Song in the Twenty-first Century.

David Lancaster Memory of Place
David Power Eight Evening Songs
Peter Reynolds Adieu to all alluring toys
Sadie Harrison New Work WP
William Rhys Meek Winter is a Slow Death Waiting
Michael Parkin Four Songs
James Else New Work WP
Richard Whalley Six Songs of Old Japanese Wisdom
Tom Armstrong Opened Spaces
Tim Raymond Three Songs WP
Roger Marsh Lullaby
Steve Crowther Songs for Don



Sunday 28th October: Leuven, Belgium
ISCM World Music Days – Transit Festival

Quatuor Danel to perform a programme including Richard Whalley’s Interlocking Melodies.

ISCM 2012 schedule



 

Richard Whalley, January 2012

 

Website by Dan Goren