It is quite amazing how most new music commissioned from me starts with a discussion over coffee!
This year has been a very fruitful year for commissions, you will have seen the previous blog from Dr Ruth Carlyle on her commissioning of new songs to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the poet L M Montgomery, new music here for celebratory purposes.
Earlier this year I was asked to write new music for two different reasons by the same person, a Hymn to words written by them to celebrate a milestone in their local churches history and also a mixed voice choir part song 'Lovelook Hill' about a special place in their life.
This second piece was indeed a privilege, the words conveyed how this place had played an important role in every stage of the persons life, from going their as a child, to the place where they proposed marriage, and to a place where they went with their own children - it was like taking a life's journey alongside the writer and sadly, though performances of the piece have taken place, the commissioner died before the first performance.
And just the other day, completely unexpectedly - a request came from someone who has commissioned me three times before for two anthems to mark the 180th anniversary of the church they now work at.
But over the years, there have been almost as many different reasons as different people asking, all the music in the picture above was as a result of a commission.
I have written music for shows, concert hall openings, special birthdays, weddings, instrumentalists looking for new music, arrangements for different voicings of existing music from popular songs to Welsh hymns, even a organ tone poem illustrating a voyage across the Atlantic - the requests have come from friends, choirs, orchestras, people I have worked with on singing holidays or other projects and also people who have simply heard music of mine and liked it.
There have been anthems, hymns, piano suites, choral pieces, orchestral tone poems and organ music, from pieces lasting a couple of minutes to pieces lasting 25 minutes
...... and thats the point really, aside from the fact that new music is a lifeblood , an exciting news story giving opportunities for press coverage, or simply for the sheer enjoyment of playing your very own music, new music can be commissioned by anyone and everyone for whatever reason they like!
and yes it costs money, because that's how a composer makes a living, but take a look at my website and you will find a transparent set of costs, and you can always discuss with me how we might make the whole process work for you!
maybe its time to pop to our commission page and then arrange that coffee!!!
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