Andy Scott’s New Music Biennial commission for Foden’s Band, soprano / narrator Anna-Clare Monk and harpist Lauren Scott will receive its London premiere next month. The new work, A Child Like You, will be performed at London’s Southbank Centre on Sunday 6 July at 7.30pm. The concert forms part of a special weekend festival featuring all 20 of the New Music Biennial commissions awarded in the first round of the funding scheme, covering a wide range of genres from classical and chamber opera, to jazz, folk and electronic music. All tickets are free of charge, available from Southbank Centre, and should be booked in advance. A Child Like You poses questions about children who are fostered, adopted or orphaned, drawing upon the real life experiences of a child refugee who fled Uganda in 1972 and lived with Andy Scott’s own family. Inspired by these real life events, Andy Scott's new 15 minute mini-opera weaves together original text and music into a powerful and thought provoking work. A Child Like You received a very enthusiastic response at its world premiere in Manchester last month. New Music Biennial is a PRS for Music Foundation initiative, in partnership with Creative Scotland, Arts Council England and the British Council. It is presented in collaboration with BBC Radio 3, NMC Recordings, Southbank Centre and Glasgow UNESCO City of Music. Every two years, the New Music Biennial will support and provide a platform for talented organisations and music creators who are pushing the boundaries of new music in the UK. A third performance of the new work will take place in a weekend festival of New Music Biennial commissions at Glasgow UNESCO City of Music on Saturday 2 August, linked to the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games. Click to view details of the performance of A Child Like You on the Southbank Centre website Click to visit the Projects section of this website for more information about the New Music Biennial commission Click to visit the PRS for Music Foundation New Music Biennial website
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Andy Scott will lead an improvisation workshop for classically trained musicians in Cheshire this month in collaboration with Foden’s Band colleague John Barber.
The afternoon workshop led by Andy and John will take place at Foden’s band room in Sandbach on Sunday 22 June from 1.00pm until 4.00pm. Specially designed for brass band players and other classical musicians, the event is open to all and will provide an introduction to improvising in a friendly, supportive environment, promising a fun and funky time. Using Andy’s popular Access All Areas book, the workshop will also give an idea of the feel of different styles of jazz from Latin to swing to jazz funk. Please see the Events section of this website for details of how to book a place. John Barber is widely regarded as one of the most versatile trombonists in Britain today. He is Principal Trombone of the Foden's Brass Band, a position he has held since joining from the Black Dyke Band in 1996. John was also lead Trombone with the RNCM Big Band and was twice a prize winner of the highly regarded Sema Group Jazz Improvisation Competition. John is Director of the Love Music Trust, the Music Education Hub for Cheshire East and Director of Music at the Sandbach School where he leads the Big Band. Andy and John have performed together many times in the Latin jazz group Apitos and small jazz ensemble DB5 as well as working together at the Love Music Trust. As composer in residence with Foden’s Band, Andy also wrote an innovative trombone concerto for John. Named Molecular Cocktail Party, the concerto for improvising instrument was inspired by John’s exceptional skill in improvising and ability to play equally comfortably in contemporary classical and jazz genres. Molecular Cocktail Party can be heard on the second Foden’s CD of music by Andy, entitled Spirit of Foden’s. Click to read the biography of John Barber on the Foden’s Band website Click to view the CD Spirit of Foden’s at Amazon Andy Scott will perform with The A Band in an evening of jazz in Cheshire this month.
Entitled Songs from Hollywood, the concert will take place at Sandbach School on Saturday 21 June at 7.30pm. With the strap line Good times – it’s what we do!, the band promises an entertaining and enjoyable evening of popular jazz standards and pop favourites. The concert will also feature the Sandbach School Big Band. Preceded by Pimms at 6.30pm and with optional Black Tie dress, this will be a stylish and fun summer event. The A Band, featuring vocalists Matthew Ford and Natalie McGrath, is ranked among Britain’s premier function bands. Made up of the finest musicians and vocalists, they have built a reputation for professionalism, reliability and excellence. Top class vocals are complemented by a stunning brass section and rock solid rhythm making up a nine piece line up. Their repertoire is broad and includes the Big Band and Rat Pack classics, Rock and Roll, Soul, Disco, the biggest hits of the 70s, 80s, 90s and chart hits of today. Award-winning vocalist Matthew Ford is widely regarded as the finest big band singer in the UK, broadcasting regularly with the BBC Big Band and the John Wilson Orchestra. Natalie McGrath has captivated audiences all around the world with her vocal talents. She has been performing professionally for over 14 years at many top venues around the UK and worldwide. Click to visit the web page for The A Band Andy Scott’s Dark Rain will receive its second performance in Spain in the space of a month when it is played in Seville next week.
Saxophonists Alfonso Padilla and Juan M Jiminez will perform the award-winning double saxophone concerto with the wind orchestra of the city’s Conservatorio Superior de Musica on 3 June. The same soloists recently performed Dark Rain to a full house at the inaugural European Saxophone Congress in Ciudad Real, receiving a very enthusiastic reaction from the audience. Dark Rain is one of Andy Scott’s most powerful and moving works. It was inspired by a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, where Andy was struck by both the devastation mankind can inflict on itself and the overwhelming quest for peace. The groundbreaking double concerto won the prestigious British Composer Award 2006 in the brass band / wind band category. Dark Rain has proved to be a popular concerto both in the UK and internationally. Last year it was performed in Slovenia, Hong Kong and the United States, and it has previously featured in performances in Australia, the Netherlands and at the World Saxophone Congress in Slovenia in 2006. It can be heard on Rob Buckland’s latest CD Gameshow, available from Sospiro Records, which pairs John Harle and Rob Buckland as soloists with the RNCM Wind Orchestra. Dark Rain is published by Astute Music Click to visit the Sound section to hear an extract from Dark Rain Click to visit Sospiro Records Andy Scott’s harp work Crossing Waves provides the title track for a new solo album by leading harpist Keziah Thomas.
The CD Crossing Waves was released this month, with concerts taking place in Bath and Bristol on 27 May to launch the CD. The recording mainly comprises previously unrecorded works by British composers including Malcolm Arnold, Sally Beamish, Huw Watkins and Benjamin Britten as well as the Andy Scott commission. The composition Crossing Waves was commissioned by Keziah Thomas for her debut Carnegie Hall recital in 2010. The work was inspired by the exploits of Roz Savage, who rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 2005. The eight minute piece breaks down into three main sections: The first reflects the apprehension and excitement at the start of a daunting journey, navigating sudden changes in weather, and at times relaxing into a regular rhythm; The second section represents stillness, calm, isolation and beauty mid-ocean; The final section displays a sudden release of energy and optimism, knowing that the final leg of the journey is underway an inner strength prevails. Described by the New York Concert Review as ‘Stupendous…totally original and engaging’, British harpist Keziah Thomas enjoys a reputation of a lively and exciting concert artist. She has appeared in major venues and festivals throughout the world, including a solo tour of Japan for Aoyama Harps, and performances at World Harp Congresses in Geneva, Dublin and Amsterdam. Keziah was the winner of the 2003 London Harp Competition, the 2008 Camac Harp Competition and the 2011 Contemporary Record Society Performing Artists Competition. The sheet music for Crossing Waves is published by Astute Music Click to visit the website for Keziah Thomas The Tempest Flute Trio will give the second performance of Andy Scott’s flute trio commission Yusef in Cheshire this month.
The performance will take place at St Mary's Church Hall, Sandbach on Wednesday 28 May as part of the popular monthly Sandbach Concert Series. The same ensemble gave the world premiere of the new work in a Park Lane Group Evening Recital at the Wigmore Hall in March. The work takes its inspiration from the legendary flautist, saxophonist and composer Yusef Lateef, who sadly passed away in December last year. The first movement, The Golden Flute, takes its title from a piece by Lateef, which was written on 15 June 1966, the day that Andy was born! Scored for alto flute and two piccolos, this movement has a spiritual quality and an intense lyrical melody. This is followed by The Golden Horn, for three flutes, in a faster, Turkish influenced style. Tempest is an exciting flute trio founded at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, with a wide repertoire of music including new works and their own arrangements. The trio has won many prizes and awards, including the Royal Overseas League Chamber Music Competition 2013, the RNCM Contemporary Music Award 2012, the RNCM Ensemble of the Year Competition 2011 and the RNCM Woodwind Chamber Music Competition 2011. Tempest is much in demand for performances across the UK and internationally. Yusef Lateef was a Grammy Award-winning composer, performer, recording artist, author, visual artist, educator and philosopher, and a major force on the international musical scene for more than six decades. In recognition of his many contributions to the world of music, he was named an American Jazz Master for the year 2010 by the National Endowment for the Arts. As a virtuoso on a broad spectrum of reed instruments - tenor saxophone, flute, oboe, bamboo flute, shanai, shofar, argol, sarewa and taiwan koto - Yusef Lateef introduced new sounds and blends of tone colors to audiences all over the world, and incorporated the sounds of many countries into his own music. The new flute trio will be published by Astute Music Click to visit the Sandbach Concert Series website for further details of this event Click to visit the Tempest Flute Trio website Click to visit website for Yusef Lateef British Bandsman will feature a saxophone cover image for the first time when Andy Scott appears on the front of the latest issue, released this week.
The popular magazine for brass band enthusiasts includes a feature article on Andy Scott’s role as Composer in Residence with Foden’s Band and his latest work for the band, incorporating voice and harp. The article, Composing for Foden’s Band, appears in the 17 May issue of the popular magazine. Andy’s partnership with Foden’s Band goes back to 2008, when Foden’s approached Andy to become their inaugural Composer in Residence following their performance of Andy’s tuba concerto Salt of the Earth with soloist Les Neish, who had commissioned the work. The relationship has gone from strength to strength, resulting in the creation and performance of many exciting and groundbreaking new works and the release of two CDs: A World Within (British Bandsman CD of the Year 2010) and Spirit of Foden’s. Most recently, Foden’s premiered A Child Like You, Andy Scott’s New Music Biennial commission for the band with soprano Anna-Clare Monk and harpist Lauren Scott. The commission will receive further performances in special weekend festivals at London’s Southbank Centre on Sunday 6 July and Glasgow UNESCO City of Music, on Saturday 2 August, linked to the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games. Established in 1887, British Bandsman is the biggest selling weekly publication in the international brass band market and a household name throughout the world. Each week, the magazine offers up-to-the-minute incisive news, reviews, investigative features, comprehensive contest coverage, in-depth event previews, expert music analysis, technical know-how and tips, product information and thought-provoking opinion. Click to visit the Brass Band section of this website Click to visit the New Music Biennial section of this website Click to visit the website for Foden’s Band Click to visit the website for British Bandsman Andy Scott will be heading to France this week for his annual spring saxophone course, and this year promises to be the most successful ever!
The course at La Moreau in South West France has gone from strength to strength over the years, resulting in all places for 2014 being booked far in advance of the deadline. During the week Andy will coach participants in large and small saxophone ensembles, and each player will also receive a half hour individual lesson from Andy. The course will include the opportunity to perform in a jam session, and this year for the first time every participant will be able to make a professional recording of a chosen individual piece at the end of the week. The one week course is run by Creative Vacances, a small company specialising in boutique creative residential courses in Charente Maritime, combining excellent tuition with some of the best of French food and drink. As well as Andy’s popular saxophone course, they offer a range of other courses in music, creative writing and art. Click to visit the Creative Vacances website Andy Scott will be performing in Apitos Pequeño this month, bringing all the warmth and vibrancy of Latin America to Cheshire.
The performance will take place at DeBees music bar in Winsford at 8.00pm on Wednesday 7 May. The group will play an upbeat and uplifting selection of music from South America as part of the venue’s popular Jazz at DeBees series. Led by Andy Scott’s duo partner Dave Hassell, Apitos Pequeño is a small ensemble specialising in Latin jazz and salsa music. The name translates as “little Apitos”, and this is the smallest of three different line-ups under the Apitos name. Featuring Andy Scott on tenor saxophone, the band plays Cuban and Latin jazz standards inspired by the music of Gerry Gonzales and Tito Puente, with a strong emphasis on improvisation and tradition. DeBees music bar is well known in the North West as a quality live venue, as well as the place to go to for an entertaining night out. By programming quality live music, jazz, cutting edge comedy and theatre, DeBees has earned a reputation as the culture centre of Winsford and mid Cheshire. Click to visit the website for DeBees music bar Click to visit the website for Dave Hassell Andy Scott’s award winning double saxophone concerto Dark Rain will feature in the inaugural European Saxophone Congress in Spain next month.
Saxophonists Alfonso Padilla and Juan M Jiminez will perform Dark Rain with the Orquesta De Viento Marcos Redondo conducted by Alfredo García Buendía. The performance will take place at 5.00pm on Saturday 3 May at the Marcos Redondo Music Conservatoire, Ciudad Real. The concert will also include Jacob TV's Tallahatchie Concerto played by Arno Bornkamp, and Sofomania in Senatus by Hugo Correia played by Henrique Portovedo. Dark Rain has proved to be one of Andy Scott’s most powerful and moving works. It was inspired by a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, where Andy was struck by both the devastation mankind can inflict on itself and the overwhelming quest for peace. The work won the prestigious British Composer Award 2006 in the brass band / wind band category. Dark Rain has proved to be a popular concerto both in the UK and internationally. Last year it was performed in Slovenia, Hong Kong and the United States, and it has previously featured in performances in Australia, the Netherlands and at the World Saxophone Congress in Slovenia in 2006. It can be heard on Rob Buckland’s latest CD Gameshow, available from Sospiro Records, which pairs John Harle and Rob Buckland as soloists with the RNCM Wind Orchestra. Dark Rain is published by Astute Music Click to visit the Sound section to hear an extract from Dark Rain Please click to visit the European Saxophone Congress website The world premiere of Andy Scott’s New Music Biennial commission is now only a week away, and promises to be a highly memorable event.
The commission, A Child Like You, is the result of an unusual and exciting creative collaboration, featuring some excellent performers – Foden’s Band, soprano/narrator Anna-Clare Monk and harpist Lauren Scott. Andy had worked with the musicians individually in the past and had the inspiration of combining the different sounds in this groundbreaking project. The work will be something of a showcase for the North West, as the composer and performers are all based in Cheshire. A Child Like You will be premiered at the RNCM Theatre in Manchester at 8.00pm on Friday 2 May. The new work will be part of a longer concert by the multi-prizewinning Foden’s Band, including a number of other works by Andy, who has been their composer in residence since 2008. Tickets priced at £15 are available online from the RNCM Box Office or by telephone on 0161 907 5555.http://www.rncm.ac.uk/performance/fodens-band/ A Child Like You poses questions about children who are fostered, adopted or orphaned. It uses poetry written by Lemn Sissay from his children's book The Emperor's Watchmaker, and draws upon the real life experiences of a child refugee who fled Uganda in 1972 and lived with Andy Scott’s own family. Further performances of the new commission will take place in high profile weekend festivals at the Southbank Centre, London on Sunday 6 July and at Glasgow UNESCO City of Music on Saturday 2 August, linked to the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games. Click to visit the RNCM website for details of the world premiere performance of A Child Like You Click to view a video introduction to A Child Like You on YouTube Click to visit the Projects section of this website for more information about the New Music Biennial commission Click to visit the PRS for Music Foundation New Music Biennial website The Apollo Saxophone Quartet launched a new retrospective CD on their tour of South Africa this month, prior to its UK release on 28 April.
The recording, entitled Perspectives, features selected works from the quartet’s almost three decade history, all of which were commissioned and premiered by the group. The track list includes previously unrecorded pieces by Keith Tippett, Michael Ball, Dinak Wijeratne, Eddie Parker, Kenny Wheeler and Bob Mintzer. Bob himself joins the quartet as special guest in his quintet New England Autumn. The Apollo Saxophone Quartet comprises founder members Andy Scott on tenor and Rob Buckland on soprano, with Carl Raven on alto and Jim Fieldhouse in the baritone chair. The quartet was formed in 1985 and has commissioned over 100 new works for saxophone quartet and released many critically acclaimed recordings as well as touring extensively in the UK and internationally. Click to view a sampler of the Perspectives CD on YouTube Click to visit the website for the Apollo Saxophone Quartet Andy Scott and Les Neish will join Maidstone Wind Symphony as guest performers for a concert of Andy Scott works in Sevenoaks this month.
The performance will take place at 7.30pm on Saturday 26 April at Sevenoaks School’s Pamoja Hall. The programme will include new works for wind orchestra by Andy Scott including Madiba and Roar!, arranged by Jim Fieldhouse. Andy will join the ensemble as tenor saxophone soloist in Fujiko, and leading tubist Les Neish will perform Andy’s virtuosic tuba concerto Salt of the Earth, arranged for wind orchestra by Urs Bamert, which was composed for and premiered by him in the original brass band version. Inspired by Nelson Mandela, Madiba features a fiery Afro-Cuban groove and infectious melodies, while Roar! is short and punchy with minimalist tendencies and jazzy harmonies. Fujiko evokes a calm, atmospheric mood with a Japanese soundworld, and The Golden Horn is a fast, Turkish flavoured piece. Salt of the Earth juxtaposes funk and folk in the first movement, followed by a Gospel influenced second movement and an explosion of big band Latin Jazz in the third. As a performer, Andy Scott has made regular appearances on the international stage, both as a soloist and with his various creative projects, including the prizewinning Apollo Saxophone Quartet. Les Neish is one of the leading tuba players of his generation, recognised as a soloist, chamber musician and educator throughout the world. Maidstone Wind Symphony is widely regarded as one of the United Kingdom's finest wind orchestras, which under the baton of Jonathan Crowhurst has greatly expanded its repertoire and championed new music for wind orchestra. Maidstone Wind Symphony have also organised a half day improvisation workshop with Andy Scott at the same venue on the morning of the concert. Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to view the Andy Scott Saxophonist section of this website Click to visit the website for Les Neish Click to visit the Maidstone Wind Symphony website Fujiko, Andy Scott’s atmospheric piece, will be premiered in a new version for solo flute and wind band this month.
Rachel Smith, principal flautist with the Band of the Coldstream Guards, will give the premiere in the band’s concert at Cadogan Hall on 23 April to celebrate St George's Day. Fujiko was originally composed for nine piece clarinet ensemble, commissioned by the British Clarinet Ensemble. It is a beautifully scored reflective and melancholy piece with a Japanese soundscape. A number of other versions exist, including arrangements for clarinet and piano, Bb saxophone and piano, and brass band. Flautist Rachel Smith has a busy schedule of solo and chamber music appearances at home and abroad but still finds time to freelance with symphony and opera orchestras throughout the UK. During its long and distinguished existence, the Band of Her Majesty’s Coldstream Guards has achieved a worldwide reputation for excellence. All profits from the concert will go to The Soldiers' Charity, The Army Benevolent Fund. Fujiko is published by Astute Music Click to view the event on the Cadogan Hall website Click to visit the website for Rachel Smith Andy Scott will once again be leading the JazzSmart saxophone weekend workshop in Dorset this month.
The popular annual weekend, which this year has a special focus on ensemble playing, will take place at the Coda School of Music in Christchurch on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 April. The course is suitable for saxophone players of all ages with sight reading ability of approximately Grade 4 and above, and aims to improve overall playing and ability, whether in jazz or classical styles. As well as enabling participants to work on their ensemble playing there will be the opportunity to improve solo playing technique. The workshops will cover some of Andy’s compositions and arrangements for saxophone quartet and larger saxophone ensemble. There will also be an evening jam session, providing the chance to try out improvising skills in a friendly, supportive environment. Andy will be joined on the teaching team by local saxophonist and teacher James Rawlinson. Click to visit the website for the JazzSmart course Click to visit the Events section of this website for booking details Andy Scott’s New Music Biennial commission for Foden’s Band, soprano / narrator Anna-Clare Monk and harpist Lauren Scott will receive its world premiere in Manchester next month.
The new work, A Child Like You, will be premiered at the Royal Northern College of Music on 2 May 2014 at the centre of a longer programme of works by Andy that will form the first half of a concert by Foden’s Band. The work poses questions about children who are fostered, adopted or orphaned and draws upon the real life experiences of a child refugee who fled Uganda in 1972 and lived with Andy Scott’s own family. Further performances of the new commission will take place in high profile weekend festivals at the Southbank Centre, London on Sunday 6 July and at Glasgow UNESCO City of Music on Saturday 2 August, linked to the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games. Click to visit the RNCM website for details of the world premiere performance of A Child Like You Click to visit the Projects section of this website for more information about the New Music Biennialcommission Click to visit the PRS for Music Foundation New Music Biennial website Film by Andy Scott was performed by leading baritone horn player Katrina Marzella in Norway recently.
The performance with the Tomra Brass Band and Nick Ost took place in Vestnes on 22 March as part of the Tomra Ørskogfjellet Festival 2014, at which Katrina was special guest soloist. Film is an atmospheric Enrico Morricone inspired work, originally composed for the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet and recorded on their CD Dances. This arrangement for brass band with solo baritone was made by Andy’s Apollo Saxophone Quartet colleague Jim Fieldhouse. Multi award winning Katrina Marzella has been hailed as the leading baritone horn player of her generation. Her musical development owes much to the rich brass band heritage she encountered growing up in West Lothian, Scotland. Katrina is currently solo baritone of the world-famous Black Dyke Band. Katrina is also a Yamaha Artist and is currently involved in the development of its new instrument, which will become the Neo baritone horn. The Tomra Ørskogfjellet Festival is a music competition open to amateur bands and school bands held each spring. Tomra Brass Band and Brass Ørskogfjellet take turns to host the event. The festival is open to amateur brass bands, concert bands concert band, school band brass, band and symphonic band generation (brass / symphonic). After the competition there is a festival concert with the awards ceremony. Film is published by Astute Music Click to visit the website for Katrina Marzella Click to visit the website for Tomra Brass Band The Apollo Saxophone Quartet will be travelling to South Africa for a performance and education tour this month.
The tour will run from 7 to 15 April, taking in four concerts in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. The ensemble will also lead four Saxophone Symposia across the country, coaching and giving masterclasses to young classical and jazz saxophone players from across South Africa. The Apollo Saxophone Quartet will join the Artverk Quartet from The Netherlands and local soloists Matthew Lombard and Karendra Devroop in these saxophone showcase concerts. The programme will feature selected works from the quartet’s almost 30 year history, all of which were commissioned and premiered by the group. This material will also feature on the ensemble’s upcoming CD, Perspectives, which will be launched during the tour. Please keep visiting the News section of this website for further details of the CD next month. The Apollo Saxophone Quartet comprises founder members Andy Scott on tenor and Rob Buckland on soprano, with Carl Raven on alto and Jim Fieldhouse in the baritone chair. The quartet was formed in 1985 and has commissioned over 100 new works for saxophone quartet and released many critically acclaimed recordings. The Apollo Saxophone Quartet has performed in many different countries over the years, including eight tours to Japan, but this is the first time that the ensemble has toured to South Africa. Click to visit the Events section of this website for further details of performances Click to visit the website for the Apollo Saxophone Quartet Dark Rain, Andy Scott’s award winning concerto for two saxophones and wind orchestra, will receive a performance at Manchester’s renowned Chetham’s School of Music this month.
Young saxophonists Nicholas Seymour and Jessica Martin will perform Dark Rain with Chetham’s Wind Orchestra at the school’s Whiteley Hall in an afternoon concert on Saturday 5 April at 3.00pm. Dark Rain was inspired by a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, where Andy was struck by both the devastation that mankind can inflict on itself and the overwhelming quest for peace, a combination that makes for a powerful and moving piece. The work won the prestigious British Composer Award 2006 in the brass band / wind band category. The concerto has proved a popular concert choice and has been performed in Australia, the Netherlands and at the World Saxophone Congress in Slovenia in 2006 as well as several times in the UK. It has recently been recorded by Rob Buckland and John Harle with the RNCM Wind Orchestra on the CD Gameshow, available from Sospiro Records. Click to view event details on the Chetham’s School of Music website Dark Rain is published by Astute Music Click to hear an extract from Dark Rain in the Sound section of this website Click to visit the Sospiro Records website Andy Scott is busy composing the New Music Biennial commission that he is writing for Foden’s Band, soprano / narrator Anna-Clare Monk and harpist Lauren Scott.
The new work, A Child Like You, poses questions about children who are fostered, adopted or orphaned, and draws upon the real life experiences of a child refugee who fled Uganda in 1972 and lived with Andy Scott’s own family. A Child Like You will be premiered at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester on 2 May 2014 at the centre of a longer programme of works by Andy that will form the first half of a concert by Foden’s Band. Further performances of the new commission will take place in high profile weekend festivals at the Southbank Centre, London on Sunday 6 July and at Glasgow UNESCO City of Music on Saturday 2 August, linked to the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games. Click to visit the RNCM website for details of the world premiere performance of A Child Like You Click to visit the Projects section of this website for more information about the New Music Biennial commission Click to visit the PRS for Music Foundation New Music Biennial website Andy Scott was the subject of a feature article in the regional magazine Cheshire Life this month.
The feature, entitled Andy Scott’s music is filling Sandbach...and reaching farther afield, saw Andy singing the praises of Foden’s Band, the award winning local band with which he is Composer in Residence. The piece also gives some background to the New Music Biennial commission that he is currently writing for Foden’s, soprano / narrator Anna-Clare Monk and harpist Lauren Scott, outlining plans for the new work and the process of its creation. The commission, A Child Like You, will be premiered at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester on 2 May. Interviewed by Robert Beale, Andy said “What I’ve learnt, over the past six years, is that the work of a band such as Foden’s is world-class in terms of technique, musicality and commitment. It has an amazing sound … so warm and with a huge dynamic range. And there are probably people in Cheshire who might not know too much about the world of bands but could be interested in this showcase for the county … and could offer real support to a little gem in their midst.” Click to read the full article Andy Scott’s music is filling Sandbach... on the Cheshire Life website Click to read more about the New Music Biennial commission in the Projects section of this website Click to visit the website for Foden’s Band Andy Scott and Rob Buckland will lead the Shrewsbury Saxophone Day this month, offering saxophonists the chance to participate in an enjoyable day of playing and performance.
The day will take place at Shrewsbury School on Sunday 30 March from 10.00am until 5.00pm. Andy and Rob will lead a packed programme of workshops, masterclasses and ensemble sessions throughout the day. There will also be an evening concert showcasing work from the day, and providing the opportunity to hear the Apollo Saxophone Quartet in advance of their South Africa tour in April. The Shrewsbury Saxophone Day is open to players of approximately Grade 5 standard and above. The event is kindly supported by Vandoren, Selmer Paris and Astute Music. As well as the programme of participatory activities, there will be a range of trade stands with sheet music and merchandise of interest to saxophonists. Early booking is advised for the masterclass sessions, as there are limited places available. For further information and bookings, please click to contact Maria Eglinton Click to visit the website for the Apollo Saxophone Quartet The Royal Northern College of Music Saxophone Orchestra directed by Rob Buckland and Andy Scott will be giving a lunchtime concert at the Holden Gallery, Manchester School of Art, on 27 March at 1.15pm.
The programme will include The Golden Horn, a new work by Andy Scott. The Golden Horn is a fast, Turkish influenced piece with a central section that showcases the specific features of the featured instrument, in this case the saxophone. A different version with a flute specific centerpiece was premiered by the Tempest Flute Trio last month. The programme will also include a selection of works for large saxophone ensemble by Barbara Thompson and Moondog. The works by Barbara Thompson appear on the Apollo Saxophone Orchestra CD Perpetual Motion, while the Moondog works were recorded by the London Saxophonic, both with Andy Scott on tenor saxophone. The 20 piece ensemble includes all the saxophonists currently studying at the RNCM, and performs a wide range of engaging, accessible and sometimes unexpected repertoire. The RNCM Saxophone Orchestra led by Rob and Andy performed at the prestigious World Saxophone Congress in 2012 with a programme of works by RNCM tutors, including Andy Scott’s Tjuonavagge, an atmospheric piece depicting the simultaneous coldness and warmth of the striking Lapland landscape. Click to view the RNCM website for details of the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra lunchtime concert Click to view the Apollo Saxophone Orchestra CD Perpetual Motion on the Amazon website Gerard McChrystal and Craig Ogden will perform a work by Andy Scott at Sandbach Concert Series this month. The acclaimed duo will open their programme with Nemesis at St Mary’s Church Hall, Sandbach on 26 March.
Nemesis is a three movement work in a contemporary classical style with jazz and Latin influences. There is a short improvised section in part two, with an alternative notated solo. This version for soprano saxophone and guitar was recorded by Gerard and Craig on their CD Pluckblow. Nemesis was originally composed for soprano saxophone and vibraphone and recorded by Rob Buckland and Simone Rebello on the CD Towards the Light. The version for flute and guitar was recorded by Paul Edmund-Davies and Craig Ogden on The Bad Tempered Flute, the Flute Music of Andy Scott. “Craig Ogden and Gerard McChrystal set the thermometer high with their sinuous and heady interpretation of Andy Scott's Nemesis. Ogden's highly disciplined guitar lines traced a pinprick route through Scott's scarifying three movement set piece, while McChrystal burrowed and mined, and ultimately scaled its petulant peaks and troughs. McChrystal's saxophone swings acrobatically from high octane celebration to sweet and low down melancholy in one and the same breath, wheedling more and more layers of complexity from Ogden's distilled guitar lines.” - The Irish Times, November 2006 Gerard McChrystal comes from Derry, N.Ireland. To date he has performed in over 30 countries including at London's Wigmore Hall, San Francisco Opera House and Suttgart Stattshalle. He has performed with Philip Glass, Soweto String Quartet, guitarist Craig Ogden, The Syzmanowski String Quartet, The Smith Quartet, tenorist Tommy Smith, Irish choir Anuna, Ensemble Bash as well as many orchestras including The Philharmonia, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC NOW, BBC Concert Orchestra, National Symphony of Ireland and Stuttgart Statsorchestre. Gerard is an ambassador for Derry-Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013. Australian born guitarist Craig Ogden is one of the most exciting artists of his generation. His many recordings have received wide acclaim, and his Classic FM albums The Guitarist and Summertime both shot straight to no.1 in the UK classical chart in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Craig Ogden has performed concertos with all of the main UK orchestras plus many abroad and has presented on BBC Radio 3 and on ABC Classic FM (Australia). Craig Ogden is Principal Lecturer in Guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Visiting Lecturer at London’s Royal College of Music. Sandbach Concert Series is a concert series aimed at promoting music making by youth and community groups of Sandbach and surrounding areas in conjunction with professional musicians. Each main concert at 8.00pm at St Mary’s Church Hall, Sandbach is preceded by a spotlight concert by local young musicians at 7.00pm. There is also an art exhibition on display at each concert, and a special pre-concert Early Bird dinner offer is available at the nearby La Casa Vecchia Italian restaurant. Click to view the sheet music for Nemesis at Astute Music Click to visit Amazon to hear extracts of Nemesis from Pluckblow Click to view details of the event on the Sandbach Concert Series website Click to visit the website for Gerard McChrystal Click to visit the website for Craig Ogden |
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May 2023
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