Performances in 201827/01/2018, 5.30pm -- Piano Trio No.2
Rupert Bawden, violin | Nicki Pearce, cello | Chris Crocker, piano | Housman Rooms, UCL, Gower Street, London
Work details: Piano Trio No.2, Op.61
25/02/2018, 3pm -- Adonis
Sara Trickey, violin | Daniel Tong, piano | Marden House Concerts | New Road, Calne
Work details: Adonis, Op.105
17/03/2018, 7.30pm -- Romanza for violin and piano
Madeleine Mitchell, violin | Konstantin Lapshin, piano | Rudolf Steiner House Theatre, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT
Work details: Romanza for Violin and Piano, Op.119a
20/03/2018, 7pm -- Adagio for string orchestra
LSE Orchestra | Conducted by Matthew Taylor | St Clement Danes, Strand, London, WC2R 1DH
Work details: Adagio (string orchestra), Op.56b
02/04/2018, 1pm -- Variations for Piano
Dominic Degavino, piano | St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 4JJ
Work details: Variations for Piano, Op.72
08/04/2018 -- World premiere: New Fire
Brno Philharmonic | Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies | Konigskloster (St Thomas’s Abbey), Brno, Czech Republic
Work details: New Fire, Op.148
11/04/2018, 7.30pm -- Variations on a theme of Haydn
Joseph Tong, piano | Waka Hasegawa, piano | Clitheroe Concert Society | Clitheroe Royal Grammar School Sixth Form Centre, York Street, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2DJ
Work details: Variations on a theme of Haydn, Op.144
13/04/2018, 7.45pm -- Symphony No.8
Ulster Orchestra | Conducted by Jac van Steen | Ulster Hall, 34 Bedford St, Belfast BT2 7FF
Work details: Symphony No.8, Op.131
15/04/2018, 3pm -- String Quartet No.8
Villiers Quartet | Pushkin House, 5A Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1A 2TA
Work details: String Quartet No.8, Op.75
16 - 20/04/2018 -- The Story of Babar (Poulenc arr. Matthews)
Performances on 16, 19 and 20 April.
Orquesta de Cordoba | Conducted by Lorenzo Ramos
Work details: The Story of Babar (Poulenc arr. Matthews)
19/04/2018, 6pm -- Winter Journey
Peter Shepherd Skaerved, violin | All Hallows by the Tower, Byward Street, London, EC3R 5BJ
Work details: Winter Journey (violin), Op.32
02/05/2018, 1.15pm -- String Quartet No.8
Villiers Quartet | Djanogly Recital Hall, University of Nottingham, East Drive, Nottingham, NG7 2RD
Work details: String Quartet No.8, Op.75
09/05/2018, 7.30pm -- World premiere: Symphony No.9
English Symphony Orchestra | Conducted by Kenneth Woods | St George’s Church, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR
Work details: Symphony No.9, Op.140
10/05/2018, 7.30pm -- A Love Song
William Howard, piano | Djanogly Recital Hall, University of Nottingham, East Drive, Nottingham, NG7 2RD
Work details: A Love Song, Op.142
13/05/2018, 12.30pm -- Peter and the Wolf (Prokofiev arr. Matthews)
Thomas Ades, narrator | Northern Lights Symphony Orchestra | Conducted by Adam Johnson | St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, London
Work details: Peter and the Wolf, Op.67 (Prokofiev arr. Matthews)
15/05/2018, 1.05pm -- Variations for Piano
Dominic Degavino | Chipping Campden Music Festival | St James’ Church, Church Street, Chipping Campden, GL55 6JG
Work details: Variations for Piano, Op.72
16/05/2018, 7.30pm -- The Art of Love
Counterpoise | Newbury Spring Festival | Corn Exchange, Market Place, Newbury
Work details: Adagietto from Symphony No.5 (Mahler arr. Matthews) | Three Alma Mahler Songs (Alma Mahler arr. Matthews) | Traume from the Wesendonck Lieder (Wagner arr. Matthews) | Two Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Mahler arr. Matthews) | Verwandlung
29/05/2018, 2.30am -- BBC Radio 3 broadcast: A Vision of the Sea
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra | Conducted by Jac van Steen
Work details: A Vision of the Sea, Op.125
02/06/2018, 4.30pm -- String Quartet No.6, Sospiri (Elgar arr. Matthews - world premiere)
Zoe Beyers and Friends | Elgar Festival | Worcester Guildhall, High Street, Worcester WR1 2EY
Work details: Sospiri (Elgar arr. Matthews) | String Quartet No.6, Op.56
02/06/2018, 7.30pm -- String Quartet (Elgar arr. Matthews)
English String Orchestra | Conducted by Kenneth Woods | Worcester Cathedral, 8 College Yard, Worcester, WR1 2LA
Work details: String Quartet, Op.83 (Elgar arr. Matthews)
05/06/2018, 1.10pm -- Cap Gris-Nez
Julian Broughton, piano | Chapel Royal, 164 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1EA
Work details: Cap Gris-Nez
13/06/2018, 7.30pm -- Three Chants for Solo Violin
Peter Sheppard Skærved | Deptford Town Hall, New Cross Road, London, SE14 6AF
Work details: Three Chants for Violin, Op.138
01/07/2018, 3pm -- Piano Trio No. 2
Leonore Trio | Concerts at Cratfield | Cratfield Church, Suffolk
Work details: Piano Trio No.2, Op.61
10/07/2018, 7.45pm -- Haydn Variations
Waka Hasegawa and Joseph Tong, piano | Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London
Work details: Variations on a theme of Haydn, Op.144
14/07/2018, 7pm -- Love Songs (Dvorak arr. Matthews)
Rebecca Evans, soprano | Penarth Chamber Music Festival | All Saints Church, 21 Victoria Road, Penarth, Wales, CF64 3EG
Work details: Love Songs (Dvorak arr. Matthews)
19/07/2018, 7.30pm -- String Quartet No.13
SATB voices | Kreutzer Quartet | Northern Lights Symphony Orchestra | Wilton’s Music Hall, 1 Graces Alley, Whitechapel, London
Work details: String Quartet No.13, Op.136
21/07/2018, 3pm -- Bright Wings
Alex Jones, double bass | David Jones, piano | St Paul’s Church, Heaton Moor, Stockport, SK4 4RY
Work details: Bright Wings (double bass, piano), Op.134
23/07/2018, 7.30pm -- World premiere: Recessional and National Anthem
An English Coronation Concert.
Gabrieli | Conducetd by Paul McCreesh | Ely Cathedral, The College, Ely, CB7 4DL
Work details: Recessional and National Anthem, Op.150
23 - 28/08/2018 -- At the Presteigne Festival 2018
24 August 2018, 2pm (event 5)
Variations for Piano -- Joseph Tong
St Andrew’s Church, Presteigne, LD8 2AF
24 August 2018, 7.45pm (event 7)
Three Housman Songs -- Ruby Hughes, soprano, Presteigne Festival Orchestra
St Andrew’s Church, Presteigne, LD8 2AF
26 August 2018, 12.30pm (event 14)
David Matthews at 75, a celebration and film with David and Barrie Gavin
Assembly Rooms, Presteigne, LD8 2AD
26 August 2018, 5.15pm (event 16)
Four Australian Birds -- Kristine Balanas, violin
St Michael’s Church, Discoed, LD8 2NW
27 August 2018, 11.30am (event 20)
Ein Celloleben -- Joanna Gutowska, cello
St Mary’s Church, Kinnerton, LD8 2PF
28 August 2018, 7.45pm (event 27)
Symphony No.4 -- Presteigne Festival Orchestra conducted by George Vass
St Andrew’s Church, Presteigne LD8 2AF
See the festival website for more details and booking.
03 - 06/10/2018 -- At the William Alwyn Festival 2018
The following performances will take place at Holy Trinity Church, Church Lane, Blythburgh, Halesworth, IP19 9LP.
04 October 2018, 10.30am
Lullaby (world premiere) -- Lesley-Jane Rogers, soprano / John Turner, recorder / Richard Simpson, oboe / mixed chamber ensemble
05 October 2018, 11.00am
Darkness Draws In -- Sarah-Jane Bradley, viola
05 October 2018, 7.30pm
Sonatina for Viola and Piano (world Premiere) -- Sarah-Jane Bradley, viola / Nathan Williamson, piano
See the festival website for more details and booking (should be updated soon).
08/10/2018, 8pm -- Sonatina for viola and piano
Part of the Little Missenden Festival.
Sarah Jane Bradley, viola | John Lenehan, piano | St John the Baptist Church, Little Missenden, Amersham, HP7 0RA
Work details: Sonatina for Viola and Piano, Op.141
09/10/2018, 1pm -- Variations for Piano
Dominic Degavino, piano | St George the Martyr, Borough High Street, London, SE1 1JA
Work details: Variations for Piano, Op.72
13/10/2018, 7.30pm -- Adagio for Strings
Farnham Sinfonia | Conducted by Matthew Taylor | St Andrew’s Church, Upper Church Lane, Farnham, GU9 7PW
Work details: Adagio (string orchestra), Op.56b
13/10/2018, 7.45pm -- World premiere: White Flame
Victoria Simmonds, soprano | The Nash Ensemble | Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London
Work details: White Flame, Op.149
17/10/2018, 7.30pm -- Double Concerto, Variations for Strings
Sara Trickey, violin | Sarah Jane Bradley, viola | English Symphony Orchestra | Conducted by Kenneth Woods | Great Malvern Priory, Church Street, Malvern, WR14 2AY
Work details: Double Concerto, Op.122 | Variations on Bach's Chorale Die Nacht ist Kommen, Op.40
26/10 - 03/11/2018 -- Ein Celloleben
Performed by Joanna Gutowska on cello as part of the Presteigne Festival Autumn Tour.
26 October, 1.10pm -- Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TS
3 November, 7.30pm -- Holywell Music Room, Holywell Street, Oxford, OX1 3SD
Work details: Ein Celloleben, Op.129
08/11/2018, 1pm -- Variations on a Theme of Haydn
Joseph Tong, piano | Waka Hasegawa, piano | St George’s, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR
Work details: Variations on a theme of Haydn, Op.144
13/11/2018, 7.30pm -- The Art of Love
John Tomlinson, bass-baritone/speaker | Rozanna Madylus, mezzo-soprano | Counterpoise | Hampstead Arts Festival | St John’s Downshire Hill, Hampstead, London, NW3 1NU
Work details: The Art of Love
17/11/2018, 7.30pm -- Variations for Strings
English Symphony Orchestra | Conducted by Kenneth Woods | Shire Hall, St Peter's Square, Hereford, HR1 2HX
Work details: Variations on Bach's Chorale Die Nacht ist Kommen, Op.40
08/12/2018, 7.30pm -- Six Brahms Songs (Brahms arr. Matthews)
Roderick Williams, baritone | Nash Ensemble | Conducted by Martyn Brabbins | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 2BP
Work details: Six Songs (Brahms arr. Matthews)
Other News from 201817/06/2018 -- Elgar Festival 2018
17/06/2018 -- Reaction to the premiere of David’s Ninth Symphony
The premiere of David's Ninth Symphony took place in Bristol during early May. As Richard Bratby of The Spectator describes, 'The audience at St George's Bristol - where Kenneth Woods conducted the world premiere with the English Symphony Orchestra - actually cheered, and Matthews's habit of writing recognisable melodies might have helped there. One tune (and that really is the word) in the fourth movement was so unabashedly cheerful that I found myself thinking: he'll never get away with this.'
18/06/2018 -- CD out now: Sixteen Contemporary Love Songs for Piano
18/06/2018 -- News from the mixing desk (updated June 2018)
David's Symphony No.9 was recorded for a Nimbus CD, which will include two pieces for strings to be recorded in the autumn, extending David’s association with the English Symphony Orchestra as their John McCabe Fellow.
On 24 July 2018 the Ukrainian Festival Orchestra under Paul Mann will record David's A June Song.
The following recordings took place in the second half of 2017:
Norfolk March was recorded by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow on 17 August.
The Kreutzer Quartet recorded David's 14th Quartet at St Michael’s Highgate on 24 October.
The BBC Philharmonic's recording of A Vision of the Sea, Symphony No.8 and Toward Sunrise took place in November, all three works conducted by Jac van Steen.
30/09/2018 -- News from the mixing desk (updated September 2018)
David's Symphony No.9 was recently recorded for a Nimbus CD. Due to appear on the same disk are two pieces for strings,Double Concerto and Variations for Strings, set for recording on 16 October 2018 (prior to a concert performance of the same works). This extends David’s association with the English Symphony Orchestra as their John McCabe Fellow.
On 24 July the Ukrainian Festival Orchestra under Paul Mann recorded David's A June Song.
Recessional and David's new arrangement of the National Anthem were recorded for CD in July at Ely Cathedral. The National Anthem was recorded live at the concert, 'An English Coronation' on 23 July, by 70 players from the Gabrieli Players, 14 extra brass players from Chetham's School, over 50 singers from the Festival Consort and 250 young singers from the choral training programme Gabrieli Roar. The audience joined in the second verse of the Anthem so at that point there were over 1,000 performers.
The CD set, which will include all the music from the last four coronations, is due to be released early next year.
05/12/2018 -- News from the mixing desk (updated December 2018)
David’s Thirteenth Quartet was recently recorded for release on CD in the New Year. In addition to the customary four string players, the work features four singers and was written in memory of a close friend, Peter Sculthorpe. Musical Opinion (Oct-Dec 2018) described its performance in July by the Kreuzer Quartet, alongside singers Rebecca Lea, Jess Dandy, Will Dawes and James Robinson, as 'A moving tribute to a fellow composer and a searching addition to a genre which David Matthews has made his own.' Paul Conway goes on to call the Thirteenth Quartet a 'tightly written piece that covered a vast spectrum of emotion in a short space of time. There was quirkiness and wit as well as noble tranquillity in a persuasive premiere performance of great warmth and humanity.' Hear the Thirteenth Quartet together with David’s Eighth and Fourteenth Quartets on the Kreuzer’s upcoming 2019 disk with Toccata Classics.
David's Symphony No.9 was recorded for release on CD in early 2019. Due to appear on the same Nimbus disk are two pieces for strings, Double Concerto and Variations for Strings. This extends David’s association with the English Symphony Orchestra both through their 'Matthews in the Heart of England' concert series, and as their John McCabe Fellow.
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