Martin Read

British Composers Project
	Martin Read

Prague 2006

Martin is Head of Music at Alton College.

He lives in Winchester with Beccy - a music therapist, their two sons Simon and Matthew, two cats, tropical fish and a collection of paintings by Catherine Barnes and Al Saralis.
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Water Music

nowalways - part of between now and always, conbol - part of The Death of Colonel Boles, survivcin - part of A Survivor from the Cinema, dialdiat - part of dialogues and diatribes, anghist - part of The Angel of History, dancemuseot - part of Dance music for the end of time

	Biographical Notes
	MARTIN READ was born in Birmingham, studying music at Colchester Institute and Goldsmiths College, London University, where he completed his M.Mus in composition. In 1988 he was admitted as a Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London and from 1996-2002 he was an spnm shortlisted composer. Martin's music has been performed by numerous ensembles and choirs, and has been featured at many festivals - including Spitalfields, Southern Cathedrals, Corsham, Malvern, Farnham, Bath and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. His music has also been performed throughout the USA and Europe - most recently The Christmas Life with words by Wendy Cope was broadcast in Norway In May 1999, Martin was appointed composer to the Hampshire Music 2000 project, a position that required him to write for a large number of Hampshire's county, area and school ensembles, and which culminated in him conducting nearly 700 performers in his Mary Rose [words: Philip Sealey] at the Schools' Prom in The Royal Albert Hall. Martin with Simon and Matthew continue		However, his music is not exclusively performed in Hampshire: The Angel of History was commissioned and premiered by Camarada at the Radio Café in Vienna, A song of bale and bitter sorrow was premièred at the Bath Festival and broadcast on Radio 3,dialogues and diatribes was commissioned and premiered at the Farnham Festival, whilst dance to the end of time - a chamber opera, written with the aid of an Investment in Individuals grant from Southern Arts, toured southern England after being premiered at the Corsham Festival in June 2002. In 2007 Martin's Rainforest opera [again with libretto by Philip Sealey] – a commission from Opera Minima, was premièred and toured the East Midlands and Southern England. In his spare time Martin was choral director for a performance of David Bedford's opera The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in Winchester Cathedral, and also sat on the jury for the Vocal Prize of the Radio 3/BACS 'Composer of the Year' award, whilst most recently his Bicycle was premièred by the Alton College New Music Ensemble at the Farnham Festival. Current work includes Roundabout Basingstoke - a community opera for Basingstoke's adult music making ensembles to be performed during May 2010, and a children’s opera for 2010’s Winchester Festival. During the summer of 2009 Rainforest was revived with a further eight performances in the East Midlands, Martin's music was the subject of a series of paintings by Catherine Barnes in an exhibition to complement the Chichester Festivities, and the Hampshire County Youth Band premiered Fanfare for David during the Winchester Festival. Leisure pursuits include Italian food & wine, French food & wine, English pubs, cycling long distances in Europe with his family and watching football!! His music is published by Banks, Editions a Coeur Joie, and Fand Music Press. more info on Martins MySpace Selected Works

Selected Works

Lady Lazarus [1984] - voice, oboe, violin, viola and cello.
First performed by the Syrinx Ensembleat an SPNM workshop in Maldon, Essex in 1984.
There is no rose [1985] - SSAA & SATB.
Performers include Bath Bach Choir, Chapter House Singers & Southern Voices.
Death be not proud [1990] - SSSSAAAATTTTBBBB.
Commissioned and first performed by Winchester Cathedral Choir [c.David Hill] in Winchester Cathedral in 1991.
At the round earths imagin'd corners [1990] - SSSSAAAATTTTBBBB.
First performed by the Holst Singers [c.Stephen Layton] at the Malvern Festival in 1993.
That yonge child [1991] - SSAATTBB.
Frequently performed by many choirs, including; Bath Bach Choir, Guildford Cathedral Choir, Holst Singers, Southern Voices, Winchester Cathedral Choir.
Before History [1992] - solo oboe.
Most recently performed by Cambridge New Music Players at the Composers' Guild 50th Anniversary concertat the BMIC.
Water Music [1992] - cor anglais, violin, viola & cello.
Commissioned and first performed by Camarada who have subsequently performed the work on numerous occasions and are to record it for issue on the CD New Perspectives on Autumn.
Earth Waiting [1993] - clarinet quartet: most recently performed by Saxploitation at the Spitalfields Festival, June 2000.
Alice Lisle; her Pavane [1994] - oboe d'amore & piano.
Most recently performed by Sylvia Harper and Mark Fielding at Cecil Sharp House in December 1996 as part of Cornelius Cardew Composition Prize workshop.
Autumn [1995] - voice, cor anglais, viola & cello.
. Commissioned by Winchester City Council for the city's 1995 Celebration of Literature; finalist in the 1998 North Shore Pro Musica Composition Competition. First performances by Sarah Fryer & Camarada, who have recently recorded the work for the CD New Perspectives on Autumn
Snow never fell on his grave [1995] - full orchestra.
Commissioned by the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra with funds made available by Hampshire County Council, with first performances taking place during April/May 1996.
The Mythical Bugler [1996/97] - chamber orchestra.
Commissioned by the Portsmouth New Music Orchestra with funds made available by Southern Arts, . Most recently performed by the Surrey Sinfonietta [April 1999].
He Tells Her [1997] - soprano, clarinet, viola & cello.
A setting of an uncollected poem by Wendy Cope, written at the request of the SPNM for Jane's Minstrels who gave the first performance during 1997's Spitalfields Festival.
The Angel of History [1998] - oboe d'amore violin, viola & 'cello
Commissioned by Camarada with funds made from the Arts Council of England. Recently performed at the Holywell Music Room [March 2000].
The Angel of History - violin paraphrase [1998] - solo violin.
Premiered in Chichester - July 1998, by Ursula Snow.
Dance music for the end of time [1998] - oboe d'amore, Sibelius 7 & Roland Sound Canvas.
Written at the request of Julia Usher for a concert in November 1998, in which scores produced by Sibelius 7 software are realised live from computer, interacting with live musicians. first performed by Sylvia Harper at The Courtyard Gallery, Hampshire; October 1998.
Flight [1998] - flute, clarinet, piano, violin & 'cello.
Premiered by the Britten Sinfonia at Sounds New festvial: February 1999.
Greek Island Triolets [1999] - flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn, violin, viola & double bass all doubling reciter.
Words by Wendy Cope. Written for students from Alton College at Farnham Castle in March 1999 as part of the Farnham Festival.
The Mists of Time [1999] - brass band.
1st movement of the Hampshire Millennium Commission. Written for Simon Wyld and the North East Hampshire Area Schools' Band. 1st performed at the De Vere Grand Harbour Hotel, Southampton; September 1999.
Mary Rose [1999] - a composition project.
A movement of the Hampshire Millennium Commission. Most recently performed by 630 singers, the Hampshire Youth Band and the Hampshire County Youth Chamber Orchestra at the Schools' Prom in the Royal Albert Hall in November 2000.
The Death of Colonel Boles [2000] - a cantata.
A movement of the Hampshire Millennium Commission. Written for the Hampshire County Youth Choir, the Eastleigh Area Recorder Ensemble and 'cellist Joseph Spooner; most recently performed in The Anvil, Basingstoke [July 2000].
Welcome [2000] - a vocal fanfare.
Written for a joint concert by the Hampshire County Youth Choir & the Oxford University Chamber Choir in the Great Hall, Winchester [March, 2000].
. . . . go mad in a quiet way [2000] - for Jazz Orchestra.
A movement of the Hampshire Millennium Commission. Written for the Hampshire Youth Jazz Orchestra. First performed at the Millennium Dome in June 2000.
A song of bale and bitter sorrow [2000] - for RCM Gamelan Group and members of the South Bank Gamelan Players.
Written at the request of the spnm for performance at the Bath Festival [2000]. Later broadcast on Radio 3.
A Survivor from the Cinema [2001] - for the same ensemble as the Schoenberg Chamber Symphony.
Written for - and premiered by, the Composers Orchestral Project, at Dukes Hall, The Royal Academy of Music in February 2001. [5 mins]
… …dialogues and diatribes [2001] - fl, ob, cl, fag, cor, tbn, tba, a,sax, t.sax, piano, bass guitar, kit, vl, vla, vlc & db.
Commissioned by the Farnham Festival for the Alton College New Music Ensemble. Premiered at Farnham Maltings in March 2001. [13 mins]
when she came misty through the morning [2001] - flexible ensemble.
Premiered by COMA South West at the Bath Festival, May 2001.
dance to the end of time [2001/2002] - chamber opera. Premiered at the Corsham Festival, June 2002.
Squeaking and Honking [2003] - 2 asax, 2 tsax, bsax, 4 tpt, 4 tbn, tuba, string 4tet, bass guitar, kit, piano/sampling keyboard. Written for and first performed by the Alton College New Music Ensemble, at the Farnham Maltings in March 2003.
New Mexico [2003] - tenor, double bass & piano. Written for and first performed by Gregory Wiest, Reinhard Schmid & Nicole Winter in Movimento, Munich.
A State of Disharmony [2005] l, ob, cl, tsax, bsax, 2 tpt, tbn, voices, congas, pno, synth & 3 vl, was written for and premiered by the Alton College New Music Ensemble at the Farnham Festival and Winchester Cathedral in March 2005.
Oetztal Narratives [2005] tenor, double bass and piano, was written for and first performed by Gregory Wiest, Reinhard Schmid and Nicole Winter at Movimento, Munich in July 2005.
The Old Year Now Away Is Fled [2005] was premiered by Ashton Singers in December 2005 and is published by Banks.
...full legal advice [2006] - wind ensemble, was written for and premiered by the Southwark Wind Ensemble at Blackheath in March 2006.
Rainforest [2006/2007] - chamber opera. Commissioned by Opera Minima with funds made available from HSBC and the Arts Council of England. Premiered by Opera Minima, The Old Corset Factory, June 2007. Most recently revived with a further 9 performances in the East Midlands [July 2009].
Fanfare for David [2007] - brass band + extra brass and percussion. Commissioned by Hampshire Music Service to celebrate David Bedford's 70th birthday. Premiered by Hampshire County Youth Band + brass and percussion from the Winchester Youth Orchestra in Winchester Cathedral, July 2007. Most recently the stand alone brass band version was premièred at the Winchester Festival [July 2009].
Bicycle [2009] - 2fl, 2cl, asax - doubling reciter, tsax, bsax, 2tpt, tbn, tba, agui, vibes & percussion. Written for the Alton College New Music Ensemble and premièred at the Farnham Festival, March 2009.

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Biographical Notes

Selected Works