In July 1990 I was staying at the conductor Norman Del Mar's house in Millook on the north coast of Cornwall, finishing my large orchestral piece The Music of Dawn. Each evening there were spectacular sunsets, and I used to go up on the cliff to paint them in watercolours.

The Music of Dawn is concerned with the sun in all its aspects, and I am sure that these paintings assisted the compositional process: the one above was painted on 15th July, and next morning I wrote the music you can see and hear, in its final orchestral form, on the website introduction page.

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Recent and Forthcoming Performances

26/04/2010  --  Reviews of Symphony No.7 World Premiere

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David was marooned in Australia and unable to attend the premiere due to the volcanic ash crisis. However the performance was very well received - read review excerpts from The Guardian, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph. The symphony will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Monday 17th May in the 'Performance on 3' programme.

Related works: Op.109 - Symphony No.7

11/08/2010, 5pm  --  World Premiere: Piano Concerto

Helen Reid, piano | Trinity College of Music String Ensemble | Conducted by Nic Pendlebury | Dartington International Summer School | Booking info

Related works: Op.111 - Piano Concerto

26/08/2010, 7.30pm  --  World Premiere: Elgar String Quartet, arr. Matthews

Presteigne Festival Orchestra | Conducted by George Vass | St Andrew’s Church, Presteigne | Booking info

Related works: String Quartet (Edward Elgar)

28/08/2010, 11.30am  --  Clarinet Quartet

Catriona Scott, Thomas Gould, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Marie Macleod | Church of St Mary Magdalene, Leintwardine, Presteigne Festival | Booking info

Related works: Op.35 - Clarinet Quartet

05/09/2010, 2.30pm  --  World Premiere: Dark Pastoral

Based on a surviving fragment of the slow movement from the unfinished Cello Concerto by Vaughan Williams.

Steven Isserlis, cello | BBC Concert Orchestra | Conducted by Paul Daniel | BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, London | Booking info

Related works: Op.112 - Dark Pastoral

19/10/2010, 7.30pm  --  Symphony No. 7

Kensington Symphony Orchestra | Conducted by Russell Keable | St John’s, Smith Square, London | Book online

Related works: Op.109 - Symphony No.7

25/10/2010, 8pm  --  Actaeon, Adonis

London premiere of Actaeon.

Counterpoise Ensemble | Kings Place, London | Booking info

Related works: Actaeon | Op.105 - Adonis

17/03/2011  --  Actaeon

Counterpoise Ensemble | Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead

Related works: Actaeon

Other news

05/06/2010  --  At the World Premiere of a BBC Commission by Anthony Payne

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Photos from the concert at which David joined Anthony Payne and the critic Lynne Walker for a pre-concert talk on Mahler's 10th Symphony.

09/06/2010  --  At a Rehearsal of Symphony No.5 and Aubade

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Photos from a rehearsal for the performance given on 10th June.

Related works: Op.83 - Aubade | Op.78 - Symphony No.5

28/06-18/08/2010  --  Summer Recordings

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Over the summer months the following works will be recorded: String Quartet No.5, The Flaying of Marsyas, Violin Concerto No.1, Oboe Concerto, After Sunrise, Fifteen Fugues.

11/08/2010  --  World Premiere of Piano Concerto at Dartington Summer School

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Soloist Helen Reid performed David's Piano Concerto under Nic Pendlebury.

Related works: Op.111 - Piano Concerto

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