Warning: Undefined variable $composer_id in /var/www/megapower.co/html/wp-content/themes/Twenty-Twenty-Four-Child/functions.php on line 918 Fragments – The Music Realm
Peter Byrom-Smith , although completely self-taught, had the opportunity of writing for, and performing over many years, with musicians from across a wide spectrum of genres, as well as musical director for theatre, church organist/choirmaster, lutenist/guitar performer, rock band member, teacher at schools, colleges, and universities. All this experience had been his true musical apprenticeship and many of his works have been played around the world at festivals and in many major concert halls.
As a composer, his music crosses boundaries, which is a melange of musical sounds, bringing together and reflecting his personal musical interests: from Elgarian melody to jazz harmonies, and rock rhythms. He has also found inspiration from many, and varied sources, everything from literature, artists, poets, the natural world, the wider universe, all of which are added to the mix of his own personal compositional voice.
Peter’s ever growing portfolio of work includes diverse pieces written for full orchestra, opera, chamber musicians, as well as solo works. He enjoys working regularly with pop/rock, and folk musicians, writing and arranging music, both in the studio for commercial releases, and live performances, which provides him with constant inspiration for new adventures in the musical world. Providing music for the theatre has also proved wide ranging too; from Shakespeare to a variety of contemporary drama productions, and over the years he has written a number of musical soundtracks for films and provided music installations for art exhibitions at galleries, and museums.
Peter’s personal musical journey has taken his work across Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and USA, where it is regularly performed, recorded and broadcast. He has spent many years encouraging other composers and performers in their careers presenting his popular, and ground-breaking radio show ‘Trust Me….., I’m A Composer’ (which has the subtitle ‘Music you know, music you don’t, and music you should hear!’) which features a wide ranging variety of music from all genres, with the emphasis on creative ideas, and possibilities, giving the artists an opportunity for their musical voices to be heard by as wide a listening audience as possible.
Fragments is in one extended movement featuring musical and technical challenges for each player. It features a rhythmic drive and momentum, whilst exploring a wealth…
Fragments is in one extended movement featuring musical and technical challenges for each player. It features a rhythmic drive and momentum, whilst exploring a wealth of colours and timbres, creating an engaging and evocative work with much to say during its brief timespan.
Fragments is composed for double bass in Orchestral Tuning and the edition will include two playing scores.
“The music of J.S. Bach has always enchanted me in many, many ways, everything from his Cantatas, to his delicious Lute Suites, and everything in between. In fact, almost as many as his control of delicious counterpoint, rhythmic pulse, and colourful, almost contemporary sounding harmonic colours, as in the Goldberg Variations.
So, when writing this piece, I imagined myself listening to some of his most memorable melodies, through a sort of ‘audio kaleidoscope’, something maybe that
H.G. Wells had forgotten to include in his Sci-Fi books. This device, takes the straight forward melody of Bach, and by twisting this kaleidoscope gadget, first one way, then another, with the odd shake up, thus turning our auditory senses around, we get a fragmented collection of colours, as each of the melodies blend into each other, creating a new ‘soundworld’ of Bach, his melodies fragmented, harmony vivid, and rhythms slightly twisted.
All the while this is happening, we are still able to clearly recognise his work, although now in a different, modern guise. So, using my own compositional instinct, I have tried to actually do this, and although I had to substitute my own musical imagination for the actual ‘audio kaleidoscope’ device, I hope I have achieved something new, a tribute, but also a possible work that Johann may have considered to write himself – a sort of Baroque meets Contemporary I suppose.”
[Peter Byrom-Smith]
