It’s ethical gifts and homemade decorations! A song specifically composed for the ‘fairandfunky’ recycling workshops and Fairtrade business based in Holmfirth, Yorkshire
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Song Stories: The Lamb
It’s a lamb…and a child! This lilting setting of William Blake’s poem has been another very popular song with children’s and adult choirs. Here’s its story:
Snow White Stories: We’re Coming Home
It’s a panto heartwarmer! A song in the beguine style about the seven dwarfs from the story of Snow White making their way home from work.
In The Bleak Midwinter Update
It’s a carol! The SSA version of this most popular of choral songs!
Song Stories: Tiny, Flickering Flame
Tiny, Flickering Flame is a song for Christingle celebrations. Here’s its brief story.
The Story of “Pierced Hemisphere”
In 2011 I was commissioned by the Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield to compose some music inspired by an art work in the gallery. Here is some of the commentary I wrote regarding my techniques and inspiration for composing this piece inspired by Barbara Hepworth’s “Pierced hemisphere”.
The Story of “In The Bleak Midwinter”
This song is one of the most popular songs I’ve ever composed….and here’s its story!
Graphic Scores – Aids to Listening
I often find it a delicate task to encourage youngsters to listen to what is considered by some, strenuous or exotic music. I like to lead them though this thorny endeavour with something that is perhaps more familiar to them. One such technique is the use of graphic scores.
Graphic Scores – Inspiration Cards
Inspiration Cards: These are brightly-hued cards with some sort of brightly-hued swirl of an image intended to inspire brightly-hued, fantastical musical ideas to come flooding from their brains to the instruments they’re holding.
Graphic Scores – Musical Structure and Development
I developed a series of graphic scores to help youngsters, particularly in the upper primary/lower secondary years with the process and techniques of composing music, particularly with the structure of their pieces and the development of musical ideas.