Raymond Warren
Encyclopedia
Raymond Warren is a British
composer
and university teacher.
He studied at Cambridge
, and taught at Queen's University Belfast before becoming Stanley Hugh Badock Professor of Music at the University of Bristol
from 1972 until his retirement in 1994.
His works include a choral Passion, a Violin Concerto, and the oratorio
Continuing Cities. He has also written six operas.
He currently lives in Clifton
in Bristol
.
Biography
Raymond Warren was born in 1928 and studied at Cambridge University (1949–52) reading mathematics at first and then changing to music under Boris Ord
and Robin Orr
: later he studied privately with Michael Tippett
(1952–60) and Lennox Berkeley
(1958). From 1955-72 he taught at Queen's University, Belfast, where from 1966 he held a personal Chair in composition. While in Belfast, an association with the Lyric Players theatre company involved writing music for many of the plays of W. B. Yeats. For the years 1966-72 he was Resident Composer to the Ulster Orchestra
, writing for them a number of orchestral works and also conducting the Orchestra in a series of Sunday afternoon concerts of contemporary music. In 1972 he was appointed Professor of Music at the University of Bristol
, a post from which he retired in 1994. Since then he has composed to commission for a wide variety of performers notably the Brunel Ensemble (Symphony No.3, In My Childhood) and the London Children's Ballet
(Ballet Shoes, 2001). He has collaborated with many other artists of note including the poets Seamus Heaney
and Charles Tomlinson
, the choreographer Helen Lewis
and the founders of the Lyric Theatre, Belfast and written for performers including Peter Pears
, Julian Bream
, Eric Gruenberg, Cecil Aronowitz
, Janet Price
, Christopher Austin
and Jeremy Huw Williams
.
Major Works
Major works include: The Passion (1962), the Violin Concerto (1966), Songs of Old Age (1968), Symphony No.2 (1969), the oratorio Continuing Cities (1989), Symphony No.3 (1995) and In My Childhood (1998) as well as his six operas. Many of his shorter works are among his most powerful including the solo cantata Drop, Drop Slow Tears (1960), the song cycle The Pity of Love (1966) and the motet Salvator Mundi (1976).
Discography
Dwell In My Love: Choral Music by Raymond Warren, Bristol Graduate Singers, Edward Davies, 1994
Kenneth Mobbs: Piano Recitals 1959-1996 (2nd Sonata), www.mobbsearlykeyboard.co.uk/cd.htm
Severnside Alliance Composers Inaugural Piano Recital (Monody & Chaconne), Peter Jacobs
Dunelm Records, 2005
Piano Sonata (Philip Mead), “Lough Neagh Sequence”, (with Seamus Heaney
- reader), “In my childhood” (Olivia Robinson with the University of Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra conducted by Robin Browning) http://www.uhrecordings.co.uk/about/default.aspx, 2010
Due for release in 2010 - Songs Cycles including Songs of Old Age and The Coming, http://www.jeremyhuwwilliams.com/Jeremy/Welcome___Croeso.html
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...
and university teacher.
He studied at Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and taught at Queen's University Belfast before becoming Stanley Hugh Badock Professor of Music at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
from 1972 until his retirement in 1994.
His works include a choral Passion, a Violin Concerto, and the oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
Continuing Cities. He has also written six operas.
He currently lives in Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
Biography
Raymond Warren was born in 1928 and studied at Cambridge University (1949–52) reading mathematics at first and then changing to music under Boris Ord
Boris Ord
Boris Ord , born Bernhard Ord, was an English organist, composer and musical director best known as the choir master of King's College, Cambridge....
and Robin Orr
Robin Orr
Robert Kelmsley Orr CBE was a Scottish composer.Born in Brechin, he studied at the Royal College of Music in London and at Pembroke College, Cambridge. Following studies with Alfredo Casella and Nadia Boulanger he returned to Cambridge in 1938 as Organist of St John's College. During his war...
: later he studied privately with Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
(1952–60) and Lennox Berkeley
Lennox Berkeley
Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
(1958). From 1955-72 he taught at Queen's University, Belfast, where from 1966 he held a personal Chair in composition. While in Belfast, an association with the Lyric Players theatre company involved writing music for many of the plays of W. B. Yeats. For the years 1966-72 he was Resident Composer to the Ulster Orchestra
Ulster Orchestra
The Ulster Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Belfast, the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. The orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall...
, writing for them a number of orchestral works and also conducting the Orchestra in a series of Sunday afternoon concerts of contemporary music. In 1972 he was appointed Professor of Music at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, a post from which he retired in 1994. Since then he has composed to commission for a wide variety of performers notably the Brunel Ensemble (Symphony No.3, In My Childhood) and the London Children's Ballet
London Children's Ballet
The London Children’s Ballet is a registered charitable trust created in 1994. LCB was formed to give children the experience of performing as part of a company, in a professionally produced, full length ballet at a professional theatre...
(Ballet Shoes, 2001). He has collaborated with many other artists of note including the poets Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
and Charles Tomlinson
Charles Tomlinson
Alfred Charles Tomlinson, CBE is a British poet and translator, and also an academic and artist. He was born and raised in Penkhull in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.-Life:...
, the choreographer Helen Lewis
Helen Lewis
Helen Lewis MBE was a pioneer of modern dance in Northern Ireland, and made her name as a dance teacher and choreographer.She was born in Trutnov, Czechoslovakia, in 1916, and attended Milča Mayerová’s School of Dance in Prague after leaving school. In 1942 she was deported to the Jewish Ghetto in...
and the founders of the Lyric Theatre, Belfast and written for performers including Peter Pears
Peter Pears
Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
, Julian Bream
Julian Bream
Julian Bream, CBE is an English classical guitarist and lutenist and is one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century. He has also been successful in renewing popular interest in the Renaissance lute....
, Eric Gruenberg, Cecil Aronowitz
Cecil Aronowitz
Cecil Aronowitz was a British viola player, a founding member of the Melos Ensemble, a leading chamber musician and an influential teacher at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music.-Biography:...
, Janet Price
Janet Price
Janet Price is a Welsh soprano particularly associated with the 19th century Italian bel canto repertory. She has been married to composer Adrian Beaumont since 1963....
, Christopher Austin
Christopher Austin
Christopher Austin is a British conductor, and an arranger and orchestrator of film and television scores.Austin originally intended to become a composer...
and Jeremy Huw Williams
Jeremy Huw Williams
Jeremy Huw Williams is a Welsh baritone opera singer who studied at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, St John's College, Cambridge, at the National Opera Studio, and with April Cantelo....
.
Major Works
Major works include: The Passion (1962), the Violin Concerto (1966), Songs of Old Age (1968), Symphony No.2 (1969), the oratorio Continuing Cities (1989), Symphony No.3 (1995) and In My Childhood (1998) as well as his six operas. Many of his shorter works are among his most powerful including the solo cantata Drop, Drop Slow Tears (1960), the song cycle The Pity of Love (1966) and the motet Salvator Mundi (1976).
Discography
Dwell In My Love: Choral Music by Raymond Warren, Bristol Graduate Singers, Edward Davies, 1994
Kenneth Mobbs: Piano Recitals 1959-1996 (2nd Sonata), www.mobbsearlykeyboard.co.uk/cd.htm
Severnside Alliance Composers Inaugural Piano Recital (Monody & Chaconne), Peter Jacobs
Peter Jacobs
Peter Jacobs is a former professional lacrosse player. Jacobs graduated from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD in 1995...
Dunelm Records, 2005
Piano Sonata (Philip Mead), “Lough Neagh Sequence”, (with Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
- reader), “In my childhood” (Olivia Robinson with the University of Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra conducted by Robin Browning) http://www.uhrecordings.co.uk/about/default.aspx, 2010
Due for release in 2010 - Songs Cycles including Songs of Old Age and The Coming, http://www.jeremyhuwwilliams.com/Jeremy/Welcome___Croeso.html
Operas
- The Lady of Ephesus (1959)
- Finn and the Black Hag (1959)
- Graduation Ode (1963)
- Let My People Go (1972)
- St. Patrick (1979)
- In the Beginning (1982)
Publications
- Warren, Raymond: The Composer and Opera Performance in Thomas, W. (ed.), Composition - Performance - Reception: Studies in the Creative Process in Music, AshgateAshgateAshgate is an area in northeast Derbyshire, England, west of the town of Chesterfield. It is close to the town centre and local amenities.A leading place of interest in the area is the Inkerman playing fields, formerly a Victorian swimming baths and a former area of pottery, most notably...
, 1998, ISBN 1 85928 325 X
External links
- Biography at Severnside Composers Alliance website – contains photograph and list of works