Music, when soft voices die - Percy Bysshe Shelley
for male voice and guitar. (2018)
In my twenties, I would play and sing nearly every song by Don McLean, Lennon & McCartney and Paul Simon. Approaching the age of thirty, I more or less stopped playing them because I didn't take any musical interest in them anymore. Now, some thirty-five years later I felt the urge to take up this musical pastime again, but now in the field that I am currently in. My goal was to compose it in such a way that, even in this so called modern classical stye, I myself would be able to perform it and although it is absolutely not in a popular style, I think it still has a touch of it, both in feeling and melody shaping. Of course, it is possible to have two performers.
Since writing lyrics is not my best, I decided to pick a poem which was direct in content and had a romantic flavour. I paged through my poetry books and found Shelley's 'Music, when soft voices die' to be suitable for my purpose.
I composed it as a stand-alone song - merely to please my own needs - but if I take enough pleasure in it, there will probably be more in the future. So far, it has been enjoyable.
Featured
Latest work: Tunes for a lizard
for oboe solo. (2021)
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'The Hill to Climb' for
string orchestra. (2021)
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Ballade ( non sum qualis eram) for guitar. (2021) Read more ...
The sick rose - (William Blake) for mixed choir. (2021)
Referring to the Washington Capitol Hill riot on January 6.
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An arrangement of Honegger's piano piece Hommage à Ravel, for chamber orchestra (2021)
The straw man for viola or violin solo. (2020) Read more ....
A void for string trio (vl, vla, vc). (2020) Read more ...
"Psalms of Life" seven songs for soprano and guitar (2020), written for Izhar Elias and Channa Malkin. Read more ... Premiere postponed.
La guitarra (Federico García Lorca) for choir and guitar.(2020)
Written for guitarist Klaas de Jong (to whom it is dedicated) and the Leeuwarder Madrigaalkoor.
Premiere postponed.
Sudan (2019) for five female
voices. Read more ...
Guitarist Klaas de Jong has recorded "El alma dormida - in memoriam Guido Topper."
Great playing!
Listen on YouTube here.
The dancer (2019) A new work for trumpet, marimba, violin & viola.
Blodeuwedd (2018) a dance poem for narrator, singer/reciter, dancers and ensemble. The poem is by the Welsh writer and poet Tony Conran.
Calendar
October 3, 2021
Psalms of Life (a selection)
Channa Malkin (soprano) / Izhar Elias (guitar)
Paleis van Jusitie, Leeuwarden
November 2, 2020
A void for string trio.
Prisma string trio
Splendor, Amsterdam, 19.00hrs/20.30 hrs
Related souls for two violas by Viola sisters Skaug
August 14, 2020 - Masterclassweek altviool Dordecht.
(Dutch Viola Society)
March 21, 2020
Time to Fly for saxophone quartet
the Bron saxophone quartet
De Kopermolen, Vaals
January 26, 2019
Music, when soft voices die (Shelley) for voice and guitar. Izhar Elias & Channa Malkin. (guitar and soprano) MerkAz, Utrecht. Premiere
February 9, 2019
Time to fly for saxophone quartet. The Bron saxophone quartet. Concerten de Korenwinde, Rhenen. Premiere
April 11, 2019
Homenaje pour le tombeau de Claude Debussy (Manuel de Falla) - arranged for flute, viola & harp ONEIROS ensemble.
Grote Kerk, Epe.
April 14, 2019
Time to fly for saxophone quartet. The Bron saxophone quartet.
Tilburg,
Kapel Mariengaarde. 13.30
April 25, 2019
Time to fly for saxophone quartet.
Eindhoven, Muziekgebouw.12:30
May 12, 2019
Time to Fly for saxophone quartet
Burchtzaal / Kapel van Mariaoord
Rosmalen
May 26, 2019
Time to Fly for saxophone quartet
Cultuurcentrum de Ogtent, Duiven
Piz Amalia Music Festival 2019
The Dancer
for trumpet, marimba, violin & viola
18 September 2019, Konservatorium Winterthur
20 September 2019,
Bergkerk S-charl
21 September 2019, NAIRS Zentrum für Gegenwartskunst, Scuol
22 September 2019, Matineeconcert in Hotel Belvédère, Scuol
15 November 2019, Paleiskerk, Den Haag
