Patrick Hawes
Encyclopedia
Patrick Hawes is a British
composer
.
He studied at St Chad's College
, University of Durham
before working as a teacher of music and English, being appointed composer in residence at Charterhouse School
, where he produced a children's opera
and several other choral works, some in partnership with his brother, Andrew. He is Classic FM's
Composer in Residence for 2006–2007.
He currently lives on the Norfolk
coast, and draws influence from the beauty of nature, English literature, and his Christian
faith. Less well known is that Patrick Hawes is a keen organist
and holds the Fellowship award from the Royal College of Organists
. Patrick has just written the Highgrove Suite for the Prince of Wales
. It premiered at Prince Charles' Gloucestershire home on Tuesday June 8, 2010. A CD of the suite will be released on 27. September 2010, and an Alan Titchmarsh
documentary will air on BBC2.
Romantic tradition as well as the Renaissance
and Baroque
. His special affection for vocal music
has resulted in several collaborations with his brother, the poet Andrew Hawes, including the children’s opera A King’s Ransom and the choral work The Land, both written while Composer in Residence at Charterhouse School in Surrey. His song cycle The Call was premiered in Lincoln Cathedral
in 1999 with the English Chamber Orchestra
and soprano Janet Coxwell. In 2002 he wrote his first film score The Incredible Mrs Ritchie, directed by Paul Johansson.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
He studied at St Chad's College
St Chad's College
St Chad's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. One of the smallest of Durham's colleges in terms of student numbers , it has the largest staff, the most extensive college library facilities, and consistently the highest academic results in Durham...
, University of Durham
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
before working as a teacher of music and English, being appointed composer in residence at Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
, where he produced a children's opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and several other choral works, some in partnership with his brother, Andrew. He is Classic FM's
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
Composer in Residence for 2006–2007.
He currently lives on the Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
coast, and draws influence from the beauty of nature, English literature, and his Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith. Less well known is that Patrick Hawes is a keen organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and holds the Fellowship award from the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
. Patrick has just written the Highgrove Suite for the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
. It premiered at Prince Charles' Gloucestershire home on Tuesday June 8, 2010. A CD of the suite will be released on 27. September 2010, and an Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
documentary will air on BBC2.
Biography
The popularity of Patrick Hawes’s music derives from a rich, tonal style influenced by his love of the EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Romantic tradition as well as the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
. His special affection for vocal music
Vocal music
Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
has resulted in several collaborations with his brother, the poet Andrew Hawes, including the children’s opera A King’s Ransom and the choral work The Land, both written while Composer in Residence at Charterhouse School in Surrey. His song cycle The Call was premiered in Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
in 1999 with the English Chamber Orchestra
English Chamber Orchestra
The English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...
and soprano Janet Coxwell. In 2002 he wrote his first film score The Incredible Mrs Ritchie, directed by Paul Johansson.
Career highlights
- 1990: taught music and English at Pangbourne School, UK.
- 1990–7: Composer-in-Residence at Charterhouse School, UK.
- 2001: wrote theme tune for Rugby World Cup on ITV channel in UK.
- 2004: debut album Blue in Blue fastest new entry by a new composer on Classic FM's Hall of Fame.
- 2005: Lullaby premiered at the Wigmore HallWigmore HallWigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
; Blue in Blue nominated for a Classical BRIT AwardClassical Brit AwardsThe Classic BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's BRIT Awards....
. - 2005: Quanta Qualia released on Hayley WestenraHayley WestenraHayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
's album Odyssey. - 2007: Towards the Light UK Tour
- 2008: Hearts of England England Rugby League World Cup song, recorded by Jonathan AnsellJonathan AnsellJonathan Mark Ansell is an English singer, formerly the high tenor of the vocal group G4.Jonathan Ansell was born in Bognor Regis in 1982, where both his parents were primary school teachers. Influenced by his mother’s tapes of Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, Jonathan joined the West Sussex Boys'...
and released on his album Forever
Key works
- The Call (1999; sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
) - The Blue Bird Variations (2002; soloists, choir, orchestra)
- Pavane from "The Incredible Mrs Ritchie" (2002; guitar, chamber orchestraChamber musicChamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
) - The Lazarus Requiem (2004; soloists, choir, orchestra)
- Quanta Qualia (2004; choir)
- Lullaby (2005; violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
) - Towards the Light (2006; pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
) - Fair Albion (2010)
Selected recordings
- Blue in Blue - Black Box BBM1081
- Blue in Blue: choral music plus new recordings - Universal Classics and Jazz UCJ 4763020
- Quanta Qualia - Decca 4757157
- Towards the Light- Sony
External links
- Official website
- Patrick Hawes' homepage at Chester Music
- Patrick Hawes' homepage at Music Sales Film & TV
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HStB2gb2s Performance of Hawes' Reflexionem
- news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people.../8706185.stm
- http://www.classicfm.co.uk/music/music-news-and-features/hawes-concerto-premieres-highgrove/
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/7572851/Prince-Charles-commissions-classical-concert-to-celebrate-Highgrove-gardens.html