Catching Up.

You probably didn't notice, but I haven't updated my blog in a long time (if you did great! many sincere apologies to you, avid reader). This is mostly because I've been immensely busy with the countless items on my "To Do" list. So in the interest of backdating events that I should have updated weeks ago, this is gonna' be a long one. *Takes a deep breath*.

I don't know why I didn't update my blog at the time of this particular event because it truly was an amazing experience for me. On the 5th of March, I went on a trip to London with my fellow MA composers, and also two of our lecturers, to see "The Death of Klinghoffer", the famous opera by John Adams. The opera is based on true events that happened in the mid 80's and as a result the opera has caused a great deal of controversy over the years, so much so that entire performances have been canceled due to protests. Luckily our performance was not cancelled, and going into the London Coliseum (home of the English National Opera) I had no idea what to expect. Some of my peers had watched the DVD (I assume of the film adaptation) beforehand to get a feel for what was to come, but I specifically avoided the temptation to listen to the music or to sneak a quick peak on YouTube for example. I wanted my experience (whether it be good OR bad) to be natural, pure and untainted by preconceptions of the specific performance we were due to see. I was not disappointed. The music was visceral and gritty at one turn then beautifully melancholic at another (2nd video is from the film adaptation). It was truly an amazing experience as a composer and as a music lover, and I left the theatre feeling euphoric and unable to say anything other than "That was awesome!".

Since then, no major events have happened, but I've spent a lot of hours infront of a piano. I'm currently working on 5 pieces all of which are in the early to mid stages of development. The list of pieces is as follows:

• String Quartet - Due for performance on May 4th (Star Wars Day) during a workshop with the Ligeti Quartet.
• Bass voice & Piano - Commission from my good friend Edric Waghorn. Due for performance around June/July.
• Graduation Fanfare - If selected, it will be performed at all 6 of my universities graduation ceremonies in York Minster. 
• SATB Choir (A capella) x 2 - One is due for performance later this year by The InCon Singers & the other has no pending performance date, but is a setting of a poem that I really like.  

There is also an evening of contemporary music/theatre/dance happening at a gallery space in York, that my work will be presented at, so if you are interested and are in the area then please do come by. Please visit Bar Lane Studios for more information (Ignore the blurb - the evening will be informal, but the rest of the spiel is referring to the at the theatre students work. My work isn't irreverent, and rest assured there will be no hilarity on my part... I'm a serious composer I'll have you know haha).

Moving onto future events. The professional baritone singer Jeremy Huw Williams will be performing in a workshop on the 6th of April, and he will be performing one of my pieces. He's also due to perform in a concert the next day as part of the Late Music Festival in York. Fingers crossed I'll be able to get a decent recording and put it up on Soundcloud.

As always, thank you very much for reading,

Liam

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