McFalls are delighted to report that two works commissioned by Mr McFall's Chamber as part of the 2010-11 season have been shortlisted as finalists in the British Composer Awards 2011.
Our 'Mad March' concerts featured six new commissions over the course of two weeks, along with a miscellany of works by other composers, and we are thrilled that two of these works have been recognised for their outstanding quality.
Shortlisted in the Vocal category, Martin Suckling's What Shall I Give? was commissioned as one of four settings of poetry by Edward Thomas as a companion piece for Gavin Bryars' Eight Irish Madrigals. We performed Martin's piece with Susan Hamilton (soprano) and Nicholas Mulroy (tenor) in Edinburgh and Glasgow in week one of 'Mad March', and the Scotsman praised Martin's 'ethereal inventiveness'. The Herald agreed, remarking that Martin's piece conjured 'string writing that created a supernatural sound-world of textured microtones'.
Meanwhile, Martin Kershaw's Closing In for clarinet, piano, string quartet, bass and percussion has been shortlisted in the Contemporary Jazz Composition category. Martin's piece was performed as in week two of Mad March, with guests Maximiliano Martin (clarinet), Stuart Brown (drums) and Paul Harrison (piano). The Herald wrote of this mesmeric work: 'Martin Kershaw’s Closing In marshalled the instrumentation – clarinet, string quintet, piano and drums – with skill, opening out with lovely voicings and melodic developments that showed a composer ready for further chamber music assignments.' BachTrack enjoyed it too: 'In his own programme note, Kershaw expressed the hope that the listener would enjoy “a musical a journey where the process of getting there is as gratifying as arriving.” This is a journey I would like to retake and look forward to another hearing of this engaging work.'
The winners of the 2011 British Composer Awards will be unveiled at Stationers’ Hall, London on Wednesday 30 November, and a special programme devoted to the awards will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Sunday December 4.
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