I've uploaded some new music to Soundcloud. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good recording from the Ligeti Quartet workshop so I've uploaded edited Sibelius recordings instead.
These are parts 1 & 4 of my 2nd String Quartet. The complete work will be 5 parts.
If you enjoy them please 'Like' and comment on the pieces.
String Quartet No.2 by Liam P Walsh
I'm currently writing a post about what's been happening over the past few months, but I've got an assessment on monday that I'm preparing for so it'll be up sometime next week.
Thanks very much for reading/listening.
Liam
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
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:
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
P.S - Please don't forget to follow me on the various social networks. All links to Facebook/Twitter/Soundcloud are on the right hand side.
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
P.S - Please don't forget to follow me on the various social networks. All links to Facebook/Twitter/Soundcloud are on the right hand side.
Friday, 17 February 2012
Ligeti's Day Off
For the last few months my typical friday has consisted of me waking up around 9:30-10am, having two or three cups of tea and then getting on with some composing, to which I would dedicate most of my day. In my head, that is already a pretty great friday, but today has broken the cycle in many ways and my fridays from now on will fall terribly short in comparison.
This morning I got up at the same time as I would do on a monday as if I was heading to York for lecture, but this morning, we didn't have a lecture, we had a workshop. Now workshops can go either way; they can either be a terrible experience where you feel as though you would of been better staying in bed OR they can be incredible and totally and utterly brilliant, so much so, that 3 hours doesn't seem like anywhere near enough time to fully grasp what is happening infront of you. Today was the latter.
The reason for this great day came in the form of four extremely talented musicians, also known as The Ligeti Quartet, and this morning, they visited our university and held a workshop on composing for string quartet. They played a broad variety of their repertoire and talked us through many important details that involve composing for strings in many different stylistic settings and genres. To see such musicianship up close is mind blowing, but then it goes a step further once they stop, smile and ask if theres any questions you'd like to ask regarding what they just played. As many of you are probably aware, if you go to a concert, the performers will very often play their chosen pieces with little to no interaction with the audience, so to be asked if you have any questions is a very strange feeling. It's not like I've never been to workshop before, but its one of those little things that never fails to make me laugh.
Unfortunately I can't find a link to any videos of them performing, but they do have a Soundcloud account so I'll place a link to a recording below. The link to their website is also above so feel free to check them out.
I need a cup of tea as I've got a long list of string quartets to listen to!
Liam
This morning I got up at the same time as I would do on a monday as if I was heading to York for lecture, but this morning, we didn't have a lecture, we had a workshop. Now workshops can go either way; they can either be a terrible experience where you feel as though you would of been better staying in bed OR they can be incredible and totally and utterly brilliant, so much so, that 3 hours doesn't seem like anywhere near enough time to fully grasp what is happening infront of you. Today was the latter.
The reason for this great day came in the form of four extremely talented musicians, also known as The Ligeti Quartet, and this morning, they visited our university and held a workshop on composing for string quartet. They played a broad variety of their repertoire and talked us through many important details that involve composing for strings in many different stylistic settings and genres. To see such musicianship up close is mind blowing, but then it goes a step further once they stop, smile and ask if theres any questions you'd like to ask regarding what they just played. As many of you are probably aware, if you go to a concert, the performers will very often play their chosen pieces with little to no interaction with the audience, so to be asked if you have any questions is a very strange feeling. It's not like I've never been to workshop before, but its one of those little things that never fails to make me laugh.
Unfortunately I can't find a link to any videos of them performing, but they do have a Soundcloud account so I'll place a link to a recording below. The link to their website is also above so feel free to check them out.
I need a cup of tea as I've got a long list of string quartets to listen to!
Liam
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Now Playing...
As you may or may not be aware, my focus as a composer is around vocal and choral music. I love how the voice can be used in an amazing number of different ways, and as a composer I want to try and capture a moment where voices come together and create something that transcends the singing itself. I want an audience to be able to hear my music, and for the music to take them away to another place/time/world.
My favourite composers have the ability to do that, and because I listen to them every day without exception, I thought I'd share some pieces that might give you an insight into why I love choral music, and vocal music so much.
1. Eric Whitacre - With a Lily in Your Hand
This is the second part of his 'Three Flower Songs', and is a piece of compositional genius. The music is rhythmically brilliant, with some gorgeous chords thrown in for good measure. He has an amazing ability to merge completely contrasting sections seamlessly creating very interesting passages of music, and if all that wasn't good enough, it has an EPIC ending.
2. Morten Lauridson - O Nata Lux
This piece is very close to my heart as I have performed it many times, and it always brings back good memories. One thing about the piece that I still have trouble understanding, is that no matter how many times I listen to it, I can always find something new. It has a way of transporting me away to another place (the feeling I am trying to capture in my own music) and when I'm there, I don't ever want to come back.
3. Sir John Tavener - Funeral Ikos
This piece is one of many amazing vocal works by this famous English composer, and for me, is worthy of being considered one of his best. A technique he uses very often is two voice parts singing together in unison then together in harmony. He does this in a few of his works, most notably 'The Lamb' and it has a profound effect on the overall sound when all the parts join together. So you can follow what's happening, I will place the text to the first section below, and put the unison lines in Bold and the lines in harmony in italics.
4. Eric Whitacre - Water Night
I was originally only going to do three songs, but I decided to leave this piece out of any list of my favourite choral works would be a crime. An amazing display of compositional technique married with a stunning text by Octavio Paz. Incredible.
That's it. I hope you enjoyed listening to some of my favourite choral pieces, and I hope that gives an insight into the depth of emotion I am trying to recreate in my own work. These composers and many more contribute to the melting pot of idea's I have in my head, but I'm still yet to capture the spirit of any one of these pieces. Only time will tell.
Liam
My favourite composers have the ability to do that, and because I listen to them every day without exception, I thought I'd share some pieces that might give you an insight into why I love choral music, and vocal music so much.
1. Eric Whitacre - With a Lily in Your Hand
This is the second part of his 'Three Flower Songs', and is a piece of compositional genius. The music is rhythmically brilliant, with some gorgeous chords thrown in for good measure. He has an amazing ability to merge completely contrasting sections seamlessly creating very interesting passages of music, and if all that wasn't good enough, it has an EPIC ending.
2. Morten Lauridson - O Nata Lux
This piece is very close to my heart as I have performed it many times, and it always brings back good memories. One thing about the piece that I still have trouble understanding, is that no matter how many times I listen to it, I can always find something new. It has a way of transporting me away to another place (the feeling I am trying to capture in my own music) and when I'm there, I don't ever want to come back.
3. Sir John Tavener - Funeral Ikos
This piece is one of many amazing vocal works by this famous English composer, and for me, is worthy of being considered one of his best. A technique he uses very often is two voice parts singing together in unison then together in harmony. He does this in a few of his works, most notably 'The Lamb' and it has a profound effect on the overall sound when all the parts join together. So you can follow what's happening, I will place the text to the first section below, and put the unison lines in Bold and the lines in harmony in italics.
Why these bitter words of the dying, O brethren,
which they utter as they go hence?
I am parted from my brethren.
All my friends do I abandon, and go hence.
But whither I go, that understand I not,
neither what shall become of me yonder;
only God who hath summoned me knoweth.
But make commemoration of me with the song:
As you can probably tell when the Alleluia is sung after that first section, all the parts seem to shimmer against each other, which makes such a beautiful sound after hearing delicate harmonies in the previous lines.
4. Eric Whitacre - Water Night
I was originally only going to do three songs, but I decided to leave this piece out of any list of my favourite choral works would be a crime. An amazing display of compositional technique married with a stunning text by Octavio Paz. Incredible.
That's it. I hope you enjoyed listening to some of my favourite choral pieces, and I hope that gives an insight into the depth of emotion I am trying to recreate in my own work. These composers and many more contribute to the melting pot of idea's I have in my head, but I'm still yet to capture the spirit of any one of these pieces. Only time will tell.
Liam
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
A Message From New York
This morning I awoke to an email inbox that was full of rubbish. But amongst all the junk and adverts, one email stood out from the crowd and was actually regarding something I'd been waiting for with bated breath for some weeks.
A few weeks earlier...
I had been looking for a text for a new choral piece and was finding it very hard to find anything with the right subject matter, or feel, that I needed to match up with the ideas in my head. Whilst looking through various online poetry resources, suddenly a poem struck me across the face (not literally, it was on a website. Metaphorically) and I knew at that moment it was the one. Then, my heart sank. It was under copyright to a publisher in New York. After a few minutes of negative thoughts, I considered my options and decided the honorable thing to do would be to email them, be honest and basically say "I'm a student composer, I have no publisher or money, PLEASE! let me use this poem", to which I did, but in a slightly more eloquent tone.
Weeks pass...
Nothing.
Back to today...
I open my emails, and at the top of the list, is an email from the publisher, 'RE: Permissions'. I looked at it and immediately thought in my head what it had said on the website, (in short) 'Give all details possible, please allow one month for reply', and without question I assumed that I was going to be denied the permissions, but when I actually opened the email, the words were like a hot water bottle on a freezing cold day. Permission was GRANTED, and a contract from the publisher is on it's way from New York for me to sign on the dotted line.
On that 'note' I think it's time for me to start putting some of my own 'dots on lines', if you catch my drift. Two puns in one sentence, great stuff.
Liam.
A few weeks earlier...
I had been looking for a text for a new choral piece and was finding it very hard to find anything with the right subject matter, or feel, that I needed to match up with the ideas in my head. Whilst looking through various online poetry resources, suddenly a poem struck me across the face (not literally, it was on a website. Metaphorically) and I knew at that moment it was the one. Then, my heart sank. It was under copyright to a publisher in New York. After a few minutes of negative thoughts, I considered my options and decided the honorable thing to do would be to email them, be honest and basically say "I'm a student composer, I have no publisher or money, PLEASE! let me use this poem", to which I did, but in a slightly more eloquent tone.
Weeks pass...
Nothing.
Back to today...
I open my emails, and at the top of the list, is an email from the publisher, 'RE: Permissions'. I looked at it and immediately thought in my head what it had said on the website, (in short) 'Give all details possible, please allow one month for reply', and without question I assumed that I was going to be denied the permissions, but when I actually opened the email, the words were like a hot water bottle on a freezing cold day. Permission was GRANTED, and a contract from the publisher is on it's way from New York for me to sign on the dotted line.
On that 'note' I think it's time for me to start putting some of my own 'dots on lines', if you catch my drift. Two puns in one sentence, great stuff.
Liam.
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