University of York Music Press

An excellent article about Simaku’s choral piece La Leggiadra Luna has been published by Simon Cummings in 5:4 – a blog devoted to the 'most interesting, innovative and impressive music of our time’.

UYMP is very saddened to hear of the death of composer Simon Bainbridge.  Simon was highly revered in the world of contemporary music, both as a composer and as a teacher of composition, latterly as Head of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music from 1999 until 2007.  Our sympathies go to his family.  

Ettore Garzia thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Blue Voice of Water’ (an orchestral collection), and ‘Archipelago’ (for percussion ensemble), and had plenty of thoughts to share on both.

We are delighted that pianist Alex Wilson has commissioned house composer Sadie Harrison to write a substantial new work, generously supported by a further grant from the RVW Trust. The project was granted a previous award from the Ambache Charitable Trust. The collaboration came about after Alex’s recent release of a Toccata Classics CD of works by the little-known Australian composer Frederick Septimus Kelly, who died at the Battle of the Somme aged 35.

Described by the French National Radio as ‘astonishing music’, Thomas Simaku’s new album con-ri-sonanza, performed by internationally acclaimed musicians Quatuor Diotima and Joseph Houston, continues to receive excellent reviews in the British music press.

We are delighted that Sadie’s new work Fire in Song (2020) recorded by Gemini on Divine Art/Metier has received an excellent review on Classical Explorer (Colin Clarke).

Clarke writes: ‘And so to the "final" work, Sadie Harrison's Fire in Song (I say "final" in inverted commas as there's a "bonus work"!). It was written in 2020 for clarinet, viola and two clapstick-playing narrators (here Aleksander Szram and Sophie Harris). 

Trilogy Ensemble will give a first, online performance of David Lancaster’s new trio for flute, viola and harp in their online concert from Helmsley Arts Centre on Saturday 20th March 2021 at 7:30.

We were very pleased to see an in-depth review of our ‘Anthems for Sopranos, Altos, and Unison Male Singers: 10 anthems for the church year’ in this month’s edition of Choir & Organ. Jeremy Jackman finds plenty of positives in our collection, which is published by The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM).

Thomas Simaku’s new album of chamber music, con-ri-sonanza, released by the Swedish label BIS Records in November 2020, has captured the attention of the music press and radio stations alike. Performed by Quatuor Diotima and Joseph Houston, two works from this album were featured on French national radio, France Musique, which described Simaku’s music as ‘astonishing’, in a programme of contemporary music broadcast on 7 February 2021.

Live Event: Monday 1st February 2021, 9.00am-10.00am GMT

Watch the event here 

Internationally-renowned composer Anne Boyd will be in conversation with composer Thomas Metcalf, discussing her life and music ahead of a performance of her String Quartet No. 2 ’Play on the Water’ later this year as part of the TORCH project ‘Pixelating the River’: Engagement with Contemporary Music through Graphical Inputs, played by the Kreutzer Quartet, alongside a new work by Thomas Metcalf.

The wonderful premiere of Robert Saxton's piano trio Fantasy Pieces, given by the Fidelio Trio at their 8th Winter Chamber Music Festival on 27th November, is still available to listen to online.  The concert includes a very interesting interview with the composer.  You may listen at the following link: 'Fantasy Pieces' - Fidelio Trio Winter Festival.

Following the review in the German magazine Rondo – Das Klassik & Jazz , another excellent review of Thomas Simaku’s new CD ‘Chamber Works’, performed by Joseph Houston and Quatuor Diotima on BIS 2449, has been published in the February issue of Gramophone.