The John Armitage Memorial Trust (JAM)
JAM is an exciting, forward-thinking organisation, that was set up to nurture, promote & perform new music in the UK.
Founded in 2000, JAM has an annual ‘call for music’, during which anyone, of any age can submit music. From these submissions & an annual commission, JAM creates a concert series that it tours round the UK.
“Thank heavens for the private trusts that keep the wheels of new music turning. The John Armitage Memorial may not have the commissioning resources of some. But by concentrating on one area it has harvested more than 40 new choral pieces over the past nine years. …lightning flashes of cascading brass into highly charged solo writing… Splendid singing from the Selwyn students… 4 stars” The Times
JAM dates for the diary:
JAM – 10 years on
JAM continues its 10th birthday celebrations by combining three Scottish choirs: the Edinburgh University Chamber Choir, the University of Aberdeen Chapel Choir and the University of St. Andrews Chapel Choir. This will be the first times that these renowned Scottish University choirs have joined forces.
Michael Bawtree will conduct the three concerts in late October, featuring Thistle Brass and Tom Wilkinson, organ. The concerts will include music by James MacMillan, Gabriel Jackson, Tarik O’Regan and a new work by Aberdeen based composer, Paul Mealor.
The three concerts are as follows:
Thursday 28th October – Holy Trinity Church, St Andrews, 8pm
Friday 29th October – Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh, 8pm
Sunday 31st October – St Machar Cathedral, Aberdeen, 2.30pm
Tickets £12 – £5
Booking: www.jamconcert.org or 0800 9887984 Tickets will be made available in August.
Nicholas Cleobury becomes JAM Principal Conductor
‘…Last night’s anniversary concert, conducted expertly by Nicholas Cleobury, featured four JAM commissions and two works submitted to the Trust… The second part of a double commission from Gabriel Jackson, spanning eight months, Yet we who Neither Burn nor Shine was well worth waiting for…’ The Evening Standard
JAM has enabled and performed fifty new works since 2002.
JAM works regularly with world-class musicians and singers such as the BBC Singers, Nicholas Cleobury, Stephen Layton, Onyx Brass and many more.
‘An evocative performance to remember. All in all this was a very impressive musical event. The JAM initiative deserves to be supported.’ Edinburgh Evening News.
Composers commissioned by JAM include: Judith Bingham, Jonathan Dove, Adam Gorb, Gabriel Jackson, Timothy Jackson, Steve Martland, John McCabe, Tarik O’Regan, Paul Patterson and for 2011, Philip Cashian.
JAM’s next Call for Music will be in the Autumn 2010
‘JAM has collected together and commissioned lots of really enjoyable, serious, listenable music for voices & brass, just like Gabrielli 400 years ago. JAM has managed to wisely choose and commission great new music & supports the finest performances of it on a scale that no other group is doing in the UK…’ Hotbrass.com
Recent concerts have been performed at:
Canterbury Cathedral, Chichester Cathedral, Manchester Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral, King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, St. John’s College Chapel, Cambridge, St. Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, St. James’s Church, Piccadilly, Hexham Abbey, St. Cuthbert’s Church, Edinburgh, Great St. Mary’s Church, Cambridge and All Saints Church, Lydd.
‘High praises then for all concerned’ Hexham Courant