British Composers Project
	Martin Read

Stravinsky Fountain - Paris

Martin is Head of Music at Alton College and Musical Director of COMA Southern. He lives in Winchester with Beccy - a music therapist, their two sons Simon and Matthew, two cats and a collection of paintings by Catherine Barnes and Al Saralis. more ... Water Music

	Biographical Notes   Born at a very early age in Brummidge, where he spent his formative years playing piano and bass in a number of obscure and very wierd rock bands. He also spent a lot of time being stopped by the police. Qualifications: Second rate degree from a "not even a university". Pretentious higher degree in eating Greek food and talking bollox from a university in a not very nice part of London. Ability to jump up and down whilst shaking an egg in one hand and going "one, two, rang a dang dang" at the same time. Prizes/Broadcasts: Alice Lisle; her Pavane [Smash the Fascist State, you buggers]; did not win the Well, Well Cornelius Prize - continue		not very serious although he [Martin, not Cornelius] had a very nice day, but didn't get to go to The Ritz. There is no rose; was not broadcast by Radio 2 on Christmas Eve even though it was recorded - too 'uncompromisingly modern' for the delicate ears of the Radio 2 listener. Hobbies: Spending many a long hour applying for grants/collecting rejection slips; being stopped by the police; Italian food & wine, French food & wine, English pubs, cycling with his family and watching football !! but seriously.......
	a little more seriously! 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. Martin's music has been performed by numerous ensembles and choirs, and has been featured at many festivals - including Southern Cathedrals, Sounds New, Malvern, Farnham, and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. His music has also been performed throughout Europe: recently The Angel of History was recorded at the Radio Cafe in Vienna for broadcast by ORF [Austrian Radio], whilst The Numbers Game was performed at the Conservatoire in Rouen. In May 1999, Martin was appointed as millennium 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 in November culminated in him conducting nearly 700 performers in his Mary Rose at the Schools' Prom in The Royal Albert Hall. continue		However, his music is not exclusively performed in Hampshire: in February 2001 A Survivor from the Cinema was commissioned and premiered by the Composers' Orchestral Project at the Royal Academy of Music, in March dialogues and diatribes was commissioned and premiered at the Farnham Festival, whilst in June when she came misty through the morning was premiered at the Bath Festival. More recently Martin finished dance to the end of time www.danceto.com - a chamber opera - for which he received a grant from Southern Arts, and which was toured during the summer of 2002. His music is published by Banks, Editions a Coeur Joie, and Noteworks Publications. Selected Works Martin with Simon and Matthew

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.

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