Saturday 27 February 2010

Adam Pounds: New Recordings and News Update.

In October of last year I reported that Adam Pounds’s new orchestral work The Martyrdom of Latimer was well received at its premiere which was given at Ely Cathedral. Dr. R J Westwell wrote that ‘This profound work explored the excitement and darkness of death and spiritual revival. After the opening appealing melody was taken up in turn by the different sections of the orchestra, the toll of impending doom heralded the contrasting development of dramatic conflict, building up to an exciting climax with trumpets off-stage broadening the experience until the work's final thunderous drum call brought this fine composition to a memorable close.’
The composer has recently informed me that this work has been recorded and will be released in the coming months.
Also presented on this CD will be the important early orchestral work, Life Cycle. Pounds has written on his web site that this piece ‘was composed for dance and shares the same idea of programme although in this case it is far more abstract dwelling on life’s journey with the fullness of life being represented by a strong minimalist section.’ Both works will be welcome additions to the repertoire of modern British music, and will be approachable, yet challenging pieces for listeners. Other works on this new CD will be ‘Lo, The Full Final Sacrifice’ by Finzi with the choir, the two ‘Chanson’ by Elgar, ‘The Lord is My Shepherd’ by Berkeley plus one other short work possibly by Elgar.
I am looking forward to reviewing this disc!

There is yet another CD is in the pipeline and will be devoted to a selection of works for flute and piano. This will include Pounds’s Sonatina and Shakespeare Sonnet as well as a recording of Lennox Berkeley’s Flute Sonata.

The composer’s new carol, ‘Behold, The Great Creator Makes’ was performed very successfully in December and this will be recorded in due course.

And finally, Members of the Lennox Berkeley Society will be able to enjoy an article by Adam Pounds in the next Society Journal about his three years of study with the composer. It will make interesting reading, as Berkeley was highly regarded as a teacher as well as a composer. His pupils included David Bedford, Richard Rodney Bennett, William Mathias, Nicholas Maw and John Tavener.

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