Andrew Downes (composer)

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Andrew Downes (born 1950) is a British classical composer.

Downes was born in Handsworth, Birmingham. In 1969, he won a choral scholarship to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he gained an MA degree specializing in composition, and in 1974 went on to study with Herbert Howells[1] at the Royal College of Music. Downes was head of the School of Composition and Creative Studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire from 1992 until 2005, when he retired due to ill health.[2][3]

Andrew Downes' music has been performed throughout the world, in many leading concert halls and cathedrals, and has been broadcast on BBC Radios 2, 3[4] & 4, BBC TV, ‘France Musique’, Italian TV, Austrian Radio, Dutch Radio,[4] Czech Radio and Central Peking Radio. 12 CDs have been made of his music.

His commissions have included The Marshes of Glynn for the Royal opening of the Adrian Boult Hall in Birmingham in 1986;[5] Centenary Fire Dances for the City of Birmingham’s Centenary Festival of Fireworks and Music;[5] an Overture for the Three Choirs Festival; songs for the Cantamus Girls Choir;[6] song cycles for mezzo-soprano Sarah Walker and tenor John Mitchinson for broadcast on BBC Radio 3; anthems for the BBC Radio 4 Daily Service; Sonata for 8 Horns for the Horn Octet of the University of New Mexico; Suite for 6 Horns for the Vienna Horn Society; Song of the Eagle for the James Madison University Flute Choir of Virginia;[5] Concerto for Two Pianos for the Duo Scaramouche; Sonata for 8 Pianists for soloists from France, Italy and Britain;[7] Mela Kamavardhani for performances by Indo-Jazz Fusions in Calcutta, Delhi and Bombay; Fanfare for Madam Speaker, for the Installation of the Rt Hon Betty Boothroyd MP as Chancellor of the Open University in 1994; Concerto for Two Guitars for Simon Dinnigan and Fred T. Baker with Strings from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra;[5] Concert Overture 'Towards a New Age' for the 150th anniversary of the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers,[8] premiered in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; and Suite for Brass Sextet for the Czech Philharmonic Brass Sextet.

As a result of the success of the CD recording of his Sonata for 8 Horns by the Horns of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra,[4] Andrew was commissioned to compose a Concerto for 4 Horns and Orchestra for the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra,[4] who gave two performances of the work in the Dvorak Hall, Prague, in February and March 2002.[4] In March 2003, the work was recorded for broadcast by Czech Radio. Andrew returned to Prague in October 2005 to hear a performance by the Czech Philharmonic Horns of his 5 Dramatic Pieces for 8 Wagner Tubas.

Andrew’s most recent compositions include an opera, Far from the Madding Crowd, which premiered at the Thomas Hardy Festival in 2006; [9][10] Sonata for Double Bass and Piano commissioned by David Daly (principal Double Bass Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra); Songs of Love for soprano Paula Downes and David Trippett, first performed at Harvard University, USA in 2006; Introduction and Allegro for Organ for the American organist Carson Cooman and Sonata for Violin, Horn and Piano for the Brahms Trio Prague (Ondrej Vrabec, principal French Horn, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Monica Vrabcova, Violin and Daniel Wiesner, Piano). The world premier will take place in the Suk Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague on February 5th 2008. Downes is currently composing a Concerto for Piano and Symphony Orchestra for pianist Duncan Honeybourne and the Central England Ensemble. The world premiere will take place in Birmingham Town Hall on March 1st 2009.

Andrew Downes’ music is published by Lynwood Music. In addition, Faber Music include his motet O Vos Omnes in a compilation of works entitled Thirty Choral Masterworks for Upper Voices.

He has a wife, Cynthia, two daughters, Anna and Paula (both married), and a grandson, Oscar.


Selected Performances during 2008 and 2009

Tuesday 5th February 2008, 7.30pm Suk Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Republic Andrew Downes: Sonata for Violin, Horn and Piano opus 93 (world premiere) Performed by the Brahms Trio Prague Monika Vrabcova violin Ondrej Vrabec horn Daniel Wiesner piano

Saturday 16th February 2008, 7.30pm Christ Church, Leatherhead, Surrey Andrew Downes: The Forest at Dawn Anthony Cairns organ

Thursday 6th March 2008, 12.00noon MIT Chapel, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Andrew Downes: Mass for Unaccompanied Solo Voice (world premiere) Paula Downes soprano

Thursday 6th March 2008, 12.00noon MIT Chapel, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Andrew Downes: Sacred Mass for Unaccompanied Solo Violin (USA premiere) Anna Downes - violin

Sunday 16th March 2008, 11am Harvard Memorial Church, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Andrew Downes: I Was Glad Harvard University Choir conducted by Edward E Jones This performance is being broadcast, and can be accessed via the internet at www.whrb.org

Saturday April 5th, 7pm Ames High School, Ames, Iowa, USA Andrew Downes: Sonata for 8 Flutes or Flute Choir (1st movement) Ames Youth Flute Choir Conductor Mary Peterson

Sunday April 6th 7.30pm Seattle Town Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA Andrew Downes: Sonata for 8 Flutes or Flute Choir (1st movement and 3rd movement) Seattle Flute Society Flute Choir conducted by Kate Kralik

Saturday April 26th 7.30pm St Cecilia Music Center, Royce Auditorium, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA Andrew Downes: Sonata for 8 Flutes or Flute Choir (2nd, 4th and 5th movements) West Michigan Flute Association Flute Choir conducted by Darlene Dugan

Sunday April 27th, 7pm Ames High School, Ames, Iowa, USA Andrew Downes: Sonata for 8 Flutes or Flute Choir (1st movement) Ames Youth Flute Choir Conductor Mary Peterson

Wednesday 30th April 2008 Church of St John the Evangelist, Bowdain Street, Boston, MA, USA. Andrew Downes: Songs from Spoon River Paula Downes - soprano David Trippett – piano

Tuesday 20th May 2008, 7.30pm CBSO Centre, Berkley Street, Birmingham Andrew Downes: Sonata for 2 Pianos Julian Hellaby, Peter Noke pianos

Tuesday 20th May 2008, 8pm Marlborough College Concert Hall, Marlborough Andrew Downes: Sonata for Double Bass and Piano (second movement) David Daly - Double Bass Duncan Honeybourne - Piano

Wednesday July 2nd 2008 St Mary's Church, Oldswinford, Stourbridge, West Midlands 7.30pm Andrew Downes: 5 Movements for Piano and String Orchestra (excerpts) Kevin Robson (piano) Oldswinford Hospital Chamber Orchestra Conductor Anna Downes

Friday July 4th 2008 St Johns Church, Hagley, Worcestershire 7.30pm Andrew Downes: 5 Movements for Piano and String Orchestra (excerpts) Kevin Robson (piano) Oldswinford Hospital Chamber Orchestra Conductor Anna Downes

Friday July 11th 2008, 8pm St Mary's Church, Lydney, Gloucestershire Andrew Downes: In Memoriam Herbert Howells (world premiere performance) Duncan Honeybourne (piano) New work composed to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of Howells, Andrew Downes' teacher (part of the 2008 Lydney Festival)

Sunday July 20th 2008 2.30pm All Saints Church, Newland, Glos. Andrew Downes: In Memoriam Herbert Howells Duncan Honeybourne (piano)

Saturday 20th September 2008, 5pm Villa Bertramka, Prague, Czech Republic Andrew Downes: Sonata for Horn & Piano (Czech premiere) Ondrej Vrabec - french horn Daniel Wiesner - piano

Saturday 20th September 2008, 5pm Villa Bertramka, Prague, Czech Republic Andrew Downes: Sonata for Violin, Horn & Piano Brahms Trio Prague (Monika Vrabcova - violin, Ondrej Vrabec - horn, Daniel Wiesner - piano)

Wednesday November 12th 2008 1pm St Mary's Church, Weymouth, Dorset (Weymouth Lunchtime Chamber Concerts Series) Andrew Downes: Finished Fields (cycle of songs to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the death of Wilfred Owen) (world premiere) Jonathan Pugsley: bass-baritone Duncan Honeybourne: piano

Sunday March 1st 2009, 7.30pm Birmingham Town Hall, England. Andrew Downes: Concerto for Piano and Symphony Orchestra (world premiere) Duncan Honeybourne piano Central England Ensemble Anna Downes leader Anthony Bradbury conductor

Friday May 1st 2009, 7.30pm St John's Church, Hagley, Worcestershire Andrew Downes: Concert Overture Towards a New Age Hagley Community Orchestra conducted by Cynthia Downes





[edit] References

  1. ^ Staff writer. "Piano recital includes Howells' work", The Citizen, Northcliffe Newspapers Group Ltd, 2005-06-10, p. 10. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  2. ^ Staff writer. "Leading pianist's recital", Newsquest Media Group Newspapers, Newsquest Digital Media, 2005-06-09. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  3. ^ Staff writer. "Tribute to composer", Birmingham Evening Mail, Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd, 2005-06-14, p. 12. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  4. ^ a b c d e Morley, Christopher. "Culture - Andrew on song with Czech mate", Birmingham Post, Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd, 2002-02-28, p. 16. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  5. ^ a b c d Grimley, Terry. "Millennium is a new dawn for Birmingham composer", Birmingham Post, Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd, 2000-02-17, p. 13. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  6. ^ Staff writer. "Such an evocative evening", Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, 1999-05-25. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  7. ^ Staff writer. "Perfect eight", Birmingham Evening Mail, Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd, 2000-12-02, p. 8. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  8. ^ Staff writer. "Overture to a Celebration", Professional Engineering, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 1997-02-26, p. 52. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  9. ^ Staff writer. "Opera adapted from Thomas hardy novel", Western Gazette, Western Newspaper Printers Ltd, 2006-06-29, p. 8. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 
  10. ^ Morley, Christopher. "After the festivals come the proms as CBSO gears up for action", Birmingham Post, Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd, 2006-07-20, p. 15. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English) 

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