University of York Music Press

28 November 2023

'A highly individual musical voice' - 5 star review from Musical Opinion for Simaku's Ensemble Intercontemporain soloists on NMC

Following glowing reviews from the BBC Music Magazine and Crescendo Magazine in Brussels, another five star review of Thomas Simaku's NMC D278 CD 'SOLO' has been published, in Musical Opinion (Winter 2023; Issue 1537). Established in 1877, the prestigious British Quarterly is ‘the longest serving continually published classical music magazine in the world’.

24 November 2023

Sadie Harrison’s PASTURE & STORM CD one of ZEIT’s 2023 Highlights

We are delighted that house composer Sadie Harrison has received international recognition with her CD release PASTURE & STORM: New Music for Left Hand Piano & Ensembles (Prima Facie). The disc has been chosen as one of 2023’s CD highlights by ZEIT music critic Hannah Schmidt.

The booklet notes begin: "When I embarked on the Pasture & Storm Project in early 2020, I could not have envisaged how the world would have changed by the time it was completed in Autumn 2022. The storms of the pandemic and the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban resonated around the world and there is no doubt that the creative trajectory of Pasture & Storm was driven in great part by the consequences of these two overwhelming global events. A UK based project unexpectedly became a collaboration between musicians and artists across the world, celebrating diversity in all its colours and splendour."

22 November 2023

Anthony Gilbert celebration concert at York Late Music

UYMP is delighted that the music of the late, distinguished House composer Anthony Gilbert will be celebrated at the York Late Music evening concert at the Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, York, on Saturday 2nd December at 7.30pm. A pre-concert talk will be given by Nicola LeFanu. The performers will be Nina Kümin (violin), Jonathan Sage (clarinet) and Kate Ledger (piano) and the programme will include four of Anthony Gilbert’s works – Catercorny for clarinet and piano, Worldwhorls for bass clarinet, Jugalbandi Blues for bass clarinet and Monsoon Toccata for piano, which was written in memory of Janet Owen Thomas.

15 November 2023

Saxton 70th Birthday Celebrations in Cambridge

The choir of St Catharine’s College Cambridge, directed by Dr Edward Wickham, celebrated Robert Saxton’s 70th birthday with a special all-Saxton service on 12th November featuring his Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, Locus Iste and Choral Prelude on 'Strength and Stay'. Organ scholar June Rippon will perform Saxton’s Two Chorale Preludes on tunes by J.B.Dykes on St Catharine’s Day, 25 November. Saxton is currently writing a major organ cycle, as part of a research project at the Royal Academy of Music with organist Jonathan Clinch.