Dove joins movement to launch Britain's fledgling composers
London, Monday 12th February 2001 - Today sees the announcement of an exciting new project to spotlight the best of Britain's budding classical composers. The John Armitage Memorial concert launches an annual event whose sole aim is to promote the best of new classical music.Following the showcase concert on 15th March, the project's panel consisting of Jonathan Dove, Marisa Robles, Eric Crees, Robert Jones and Tim Jackson will be searching for new compositions. Submissions will be invited from all promising composers of any age, including those studying at the country's major colleges and academies.
Each year the best pieces will be selected for a recorded performance at St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London. The music submitted must be written for brass, choir and organ, or any combination of these components, as the St. Bride's choir, the St. Bride's organ scholar and Onyx Brass, will perform it. From 2002, the concerts will also premier new commissions from well-established contemporary composers.
Jonathan Dove commented: "It is exciting to think of the new repertoire that will be created for this wonderful combination of musical forces - brass, voices and organ. It is the sort of sound-world that I hope will prove a mouth-watering alternative to the kinds of ensembles that are most often available to young composers."
Edward, John Armitage's son, added: "I'm extremely excited that my father's idea and his passion for new music are coming together in the form of these concerts. It's particularly appropriate that the project's home is St. Bride's as my father's father, when Rector here in the fifties, was responsible for the re-building of the church after the Blitz "
The inaugural concert will be held on Thursday 15th March 2001 at 7.30 p.m.
For further information, please contact:
John Armitage Memorial
55 Kempshott Road, London SW16 5LS
Website: www.jamconcert.org
Tel/Fax: 020 8764 6147
E-mail: info@jamconcert.org
Notes to Editors
The genesis of the John Armitage Memorial project
John Armitage enjoyed a highly successful career in advertising. On retiring, at sixty, he became a student at Christchurch College, Canterbury, studying for a degree in music. It was during this period that he realised how difficult it was to get new works performed, let alone promoted or recorded. In the summer of 1998, based on his love of music and success in advertising he spoke to Edward, his son, about promoting talent of the future.
Sadly he died of cancer in December 1998, before his dream could be realised. Edward and the project's panel are now bringing his idea to fruition.
Jonathan Dove is one of the most versatile and prolific composers of his generation-his music spans the worlds of opera, theatre, film, church and concert hall. Flight, his first full-length main-house opera was given its world premi�re in 1998 by Glyndebourne Touring Opera. Flight was staged again the following year by Glyndebourne Festival Opera, when it was also broadcast nationally on British television.
In 2001 Jonathan Dove became Artistic Director of the Spitalfields Festival.
Marisa Robles has been acclaimed as 'the perfect harpist' by The New York Times. She is without equal among performers on the instrument today. Marisa has a unique personality, with a radiant stage presence and witty good humour. She is a sensitive musician who plays with unmatched warmth of tone, clarity and brilliance.
Eric Crees was appointed Principal Trombone in the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in September 2000. Before joining Covent Garden, Eric played in the London Symphony Orchestra for twenty-seven years, twenty as Co-Principal.
As conductor and arranger, Eric has directed the London Symphony Orchestra Brass for many years. His brass arrangements have received great acclaim and have been played world-wide.
Robert Jones was a founder member of the Tallis Scholars. He sang with them for twenty years. He now sings regularly with the Orlando Consort and the Gabrieli Consort. Robert is a brilliant arranger of choral music and has been director of music at St. Bride's, Fleet Street since 1988.
Tim Jackson is Composer-in-Association with Onyx Brass. His pieces have been played all over the world in halls such as the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Albert Hall. He plays French Horn in the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Onyx Brass is a quintet, formed by ex-members of the National Youth Orchestra. The quintet specialises in the playing and premiering of contemporary music. They have a growing reputation and have performed all over Europe. Onyx Brass has recently released its first recording and is about to start their second. They have recently played their second Wigmore Hall recital.
St. Bride's Choir was established in its present form with twelve professional singers in 1958, when the church was reconsecrated following extensive wartime damage. Regular appearances on Radio 3's Choral Evensong will be joined this year by the Easter edition of Radio 4's "Something understood".
Individual choir members are active as soloists and consort singers at the highest level, including at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Glyndeboune and the Salzburg Festival.