Comment

AS Andover-based composer, pianist, broadcaster and university lecturer David Owen Norris entered a new phase in his varied career, his creativity blossomed.

He always wanted to compose and, indeed, won a composition scholarship for postgraduate work at Oxford University.

But what he calls the musical fashionistas of the mid-seventies' disapproved of his melodic approach.

So he followed alternative careers as a piano soloist, accompanist, organist, broadcaster, researcher and teacher.

Now, aged 55, his own composing ambitions are taking off with the second performance of his Oratorio Prayerbook at St Mary's Church in Andover earlier this year, and the premiere of Piano Concerto in C Major at The English Music Festival.

Other works include two comic operas for radio, a song-cycle and a community cantata.

Unusually, the concerto starts with the piano. "What I wanted was for the piano to start the concerto because I don't want the conductor messing, I mean I don't mind a conductor being there but I don't want him to think he's in control," he said.

The work features a huge 32-bar melody for the orchestra and references to Jerome Kern but finds resolution in a way that echoes Beethoven. "Like Beethoven's Fifth it can't end in the major and it can't end in the minor so it just ends on solitary C," he said.

David is someone who wears his seriousness lightly, but this can be misinterpreted. He said: "There is a tendency for people to think that I don't take anything seriously, whereas in fact I take most things extremely seriously but I don't bore on about it, hopefully.

"Sometimes I'm a little bit disappointed that I come across as being a bit flippant, and I know I ask for it because I'm good at being flippant."

He says his religious beliefs, which manifest themselves clearly in Prayerbook, are quite complicated.

"I always describe myself as an Anglican rather than a Christian, for example," he added. "Most Anglicans would regard me as being horribly liberal, I think."

David is realistic about composing. "I would like to compose more but I don't think my music will become main stream taste," he said. "The important thing is that I write what I want to write but I'm never going to make money out of it. So I'll carry on doing the other stuff."

2:24pm Saturday 19th July 2008

Print

Email this

Comment

Add your comment

Name:
Email: *
Location:
**
	e.g. 123-123
Comment: Please note: All HTML tags will be ignored. Format Text:
By posting a comment, I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms of use. Comments are not moderated but we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention and we may delete inappropriate postings. Please treat other people with respect. You must not post anything that is abusive, indecent, unlawful or defamatory. Remember, you are personally liable for what you post on this site. If you wish to complain about a comment, contact us here.
* Your email address will not be displayed ** To avoid register now or login