Welcome to my March newsletter!
John Armitage Memorial Trust
This organisation has been going for some years and its concerts, and its Festival on the Kent coast, are highly regarded, with some exciting premieres. I was therefore delighted that my short piece for upper voices, which was submitted anonymously to their Call for Scores, was selected for their special 25thanniversary concert. So, alongside pieces by contemporary composers Paul Mealor, Joseph Phibbs, and Timothy Jackson, my piece The Cats are Crowding Us will receive its first performance, by members of the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, director Sarah MacDonald, at St. Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, London, on 26 March at 7pm. The piece is a setting of a traditional incantation from the Scottish Highlands and is a womans’ view of the tribal battles that divided and despoiled the country at that time. Details of the concert here.
Martin Read Foundation
This organisation, based in Hampshire, was formed to celebrate and commemorate the music of Martin Read (1959-2012), composer and educator. Through concerts, schools workshops, a young composer’s scheme, and days of music-making open to all, the MRF continues the tradition of musical awareness and inventiveness which so characterised Martin’s work as teacher and composer. Full details here.
I am really pleased to have been asked to join Judith Weir and Howard Skempton as one of their Patrons, and am looking forward to attending a day of celebration and music-making featuring a group of young composers, the Oxford-based choir Commotio, and cellist Joseph Spooner, on April 27th in Alton, Hants.
Martin Read, and his widow Beccy, were both pupils of mine and it is lovely to be able to help to celebrate Martin’s passion for new music, composition, and music education.
Musical Arrangements
I’ve been doing quite a lot of arrangements recently, including a bunch of piano accompaniments for the 2026 ABRSM woodwind syllabus books, which are currently in proof stage.
But I’ve also been doing some choral, and piano solo arrangements, as well: all published and on sale from Colne Edition.
The choral ones are aimed at small church choirs and are arrangements of popular hymns and worship songs, often flexibly scored, suitable as easy anthems within church services. Published in the series Prayer and Praise for Choirs, they have sold sets of copies in several countries, and they include The Servant King, Make me a Channel of your Peace, How Great Thou Art, A New Commandment, and It is Well with my Soul. You can see a complete list here.
And, picking up from that, I’ve just started a new series, Piano Prayer and Praise. Having written a lot of organ preludes for church services recently, I thought it was time to give church pianists a go – so I’ve written three (so far) fantasias on popular hymns, suitable as interludes or during communion. Details here.
And lastly in this section, while we are talking about piano arrangements, Jan and I are planning to add more pieces soon to The Janet and Alan Bullard Piano Series – easy arrangements for players of all ages. Details of this series here.
New Colne Edition publications:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus and Be thou my vision – arrangements in the Prayer and Praise for Choirs series
King Wenceslas – a dramatic scena for soprano and recorder
A Colchester Suite – four movements for amateur orchestra
A New Commandment, Slane, and Londonderry Air – fantasias for piano solo in the Piano Prayer and Praiseseries
Some performances, March – June
17 March 2025: Six Dances for Four Hands
Aldeburgh Parish Church, 12pm, Nadia Lasserson, Alan Bullard (piano duet)
26 March 2025: The Cats are crowding us (first performance)
John Armitage Trust Music in our Time concert; 7pm St. Bride’s, Fleet St., London, Selwyn College Chapel Choir / Sarah MacDonald
13 April 2025: Wondrous Cross
Lion Walk Church (morning service), Lion Walk Church Choir / Ian Ray
18 April 2025: Wondrous Cross
St. Mary’s Church, Ardleigh, The Deanery Choir / Sally Pudney
8 June 2025: Prelude and Postlude on Veni Creator Spiritus (first performance)
Chelmsford Cathedral (evensong), Samuel Bristow, Emma Gibbins (organ)