Peter McGarr explained

Peter McGarr is an English classical composer and teacher, working in the English experimental tradition and inspired by Northern English landscape and culture.thumb|Photo of English composer, Peter McGarr, taken in 2022

Biography

McGarr was born in Openshaw, Manchester, and attended Ducie Technical High School for Boys, now Manchester Academy. He studied Music and Dance at Mather College (now part of Manchester University) and is self-taught in composition. For several years he taught steel pan, achieving the Outstanding Performance Award from Music for Youth for his steel band 'Orchestral Steel', appearing in the School Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in 1984[1] and 1986.[2] He has received the Butterworth Prize for Composition from the Society for the Promotion of New Music and has been nominated for Music Teacher of the Year, the British Composer Awards, the Paul Hamlyn foundation Awards and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship. He has led composition workshops at the Edinburgh International Festival[3] and also engaged extensively with musical activities involving the elderly and people with dementia.

Style and influences

McGarr has been influenced by the sounds and changing culture of the Northern English people and landscape.[4] His piece "Hillclouds, Rainwindows and Vanishing Orchestras" has been described as "integrat[ing] tremolo sounds into a subtle patchwork of changing harmonies".[5]

Works and commissions

He has received performances and commissions from many leading musicians, orchestras and festivals including the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall,[6] London Sinfonietta,[7] Joanna MacGregor,[8] Ensemble Bash,[4] Three Strange Angels,[9] Passacaglia,[10] oboeworks,[11] Cappella Nova,[12] The Crossing,[13] Kevin Bowyer,[14] Ruth Morley,[15] and Emily Andrews.[16]

He was commissioned by the Tallis Festival to write a 40-part companion piece to Thomas Tallis's Spem in alium. The resulting work, Lindisfarne Love Song (also called Love You Big as the Sky) included poems about Lindisfarne, diary notes and the detailed geography of the area including shipwrecks and lighthouses. An on-line campaign has since started, Lybats, to secure a performance of the piece on its "spiritual home" of Lindisfarne.[17]

thumb|40 part motet, Lindisfarne Lovesong, climax point

The Bath International Music Festival commissioned its largest ever piece; a choral work from McGarr, to celebrate the festival's 60th anniversary. The work was Homesongs and scored for over a 1,000 voices.[18]

McGarr won the 2013–14 British Composer Awards (Making Music Category) for his piece Dry Stone Walls of Yorkshire, written for orchestra with soundtrack and features field recordings made on Saddleworth Moor.[19]

Selected works

Selected recordings

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Leading Issu Site on the Net . https://web.archive.org/web/20160127200931/http://www.issu.com/musicforyouth/docs/programme_1984 . dead . 27 January 2016 . issu.com . 15 September 2012.
  2. http://www.issuu.com/musicforyouth/docs/programme_1986
  3. Web site: Dundee – Events . Caird Hall . 15 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090708113016/http://www.cairdhall.co.uk/event/?id=3791 . 8 July 2009 . dead.
  4. Web site: Archived copy . 14 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150722191311/http://www.signumrecords.com/products/booklets/SIGCD294booklet.pdf . 22 July 2015 . dead .
  5. News: Keith Potter . Flash in the pan – Arts & Entertainment . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts.../flash-in-the-pan-1282087.html . 26 May 2022 . subscription . live . The Independent . 7 January 1997 . 15 September 2012.
  6. Web site: Proms – Cloudspell Seasons . BBC . 1 January 1970 . 15 September 2012 . dead.
  7. Web site: Valade, repertoire . Pierreandrevalade.com . 15 September 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131010001333/http://www.pierreandrevalade.com/en/pages/repertoire.html . 10 October 2013 . dmy-all .
  8. Web site: Joanna MacGregor Explores Unbeaten Tracks! – News & Reviews – Joanna MacGregor – Composers – Faber Music . Fabermusic.clientdemoarea.com . 6 October 2005 . 15 September 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20130119111938/http://fabermusic.clientdemoarea.com/news/story/joanna-macgregor-explores-unbeaten-tracks.aspx?ComposerId=430 . 19 January 2013 . dmy-all .
  9. Web site: Classical Music :: The Classical Source :: Feature Review: fffade away :: Classical Music . The Classical Source . 29 January 2006 . 15 September 2012.
  10. Web site: Passacaglia- Bio, Albums, Pictures – Naxos Classical Music . Naxos.com . 25 June 2011 . 15 September 2012.
  11. Web site: Oboeworks oboe quartet – oboe and string trio – chamber music, concerts . Oboeworks.co.uk . 15 September 2012.
  12. Web site: Scottish Arts Council – Archive – Choirs at Christmas . Scottisharts.org.uk . 15 September 2012.
  13. Web site: Gearhart . Steven . The Crossing: Month of Moderns 2 . ChoralNet . 19 May 2009 . 15 September 2012.
  14. Web site: Kevin Bowyer/Glasgow University Chapel Choir – News and features . Scotsman.com . 1 February 2006 . 15 September 2012.
  15. Web site: s•o•u•n•d event – Ruth Morley, flute; Scott Mitchell, piano – 25 November 2007 @ 3pm . Sound-scotland.co.uk . 15 September 2012.
  16. Web site: Emily Andrews flautist past events page . Emilyandrewsflute.com . 15 September 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20130122041009/http://www.emilyandrewsflute.com/pastevents.html . 22 January 2013 . dmy-all .
  17. Web site: Jim . Honest . LYBATS . Lybats.blogspot.com . 11 December 2007 . 15 September 2012.
  18. http://www.bathmusicfest.org.uk.../2008%20festival%20brochure
  19. Web site: British Composer Awards 2013 . PRS for Music . 4 January 2024 . en . 4 December 2013 . deviated.

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