John Hawkins
Professional
Biography
John Hawkins studied composition with Malcolm Williamson and Elisabeth Lutyens. Works include chamber, vocal and orchestral pieces as well as educational music published by Boosey & Hawkes, Stainer & Bell and Faber Music.
The one-act opera 'Echoes' formed part of Covent Garden's Garden Venture series.
Orchestral pieces include a large-scale trilogy on the subject of the sea. The 'Sea Symphony' was performed three times by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and broadcast by the BBC. It was also re-recorded and broadcast by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The second part of the trilogy is the orchestral song-cycle 'Voices from the Sea', for tenor and string orchestra, which was first performed at St John's Smith Square by Martyn Hill and the chamber orchestra Divertimenti. That performance has been issued by Meridian Records. The final part of the trilogy - 'The Seafarer' - was commissioned by Greater London Arts.
'Urizen' for viola and piano (also with string orchestra or chamber orchestra) was written for Paul Silverthorne and, has been performed many times worldwide including International Viola Conventions in the Isle of Man and New York and broadcasts in the UK, America and Japan. USA performances include two in the version with string orchestra given by Nardo Poy and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and a ballet version. Patricia McCarty has given several concert performances - including the string orchestra version at the International Viola Convention. Yuko Inoue first performed 'Urizen' at the Wigmore Hall and gave the first performance of the version with chamber orchestra in Japan in 2007.
In addition to the 'Sea Symphony', BBC broadcasts of John Hawkins' music include 'Variations' for solo piano and the cantata 'This World' (originally commissioned by the choir Cryes of London) which was later broadcast by the BBC Singers.
'Variations' for piano was performed at both the Hampstead and Highgate and Presteigne festivals. 'Virtue, Denial, The Call and Doomsday' have been performed several times by the Manchester choir Alteri.
RECORDINGS
'Voices from the Sea' was released in 2003 by Meridian Records (CDE 84496) with tenor Martyn Hill and Divertimenti string orchestra.
'Urizen' played by Paul Silverthorne and John Constable is on Black Box (BBM 1058).
'Cortege?' recorded in 2004 by Sian Philipps and Sophia Rahman is on Meridian Records CDE 84513
'Sortie' for trumpet and organ is available recorded by Deborah Calland on the Deux-Elles label.
SOME PRESS REVIEWS:
'Sea Symphony'
"Academic complexities do not trouble the ear, which is constantly entertained and alternately assuaged and assaulted by an endlessly fascinating stream of sounds." - Music and Musicians
'Voices for the Sea'
"Finely pointing the drama of the texts without recourse to obvious word-painting, and easing into refrains of exceptional beauty." - The Guardian
'Echoes' "A wealth of opportunities, readily seized, for econimical by effective musico-dramatic gestures, all make their evocative points in an instant." - The Observer
'Urizen' "...traverses a remarkable spectrum of drama and emotions in less than ten minutes of music." - Strings Magazine (USA)
| Important Works |
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Performances |
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- 'Sea Symphony'
- 'Another Orpheus'
- 'Voices from the Sea'
- 'This World'
- 'Echoes'
- 'Variations' for piano
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