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Andrew Wilson-Dickson is a composer, pianist and conductor (as well as
author, teacher and string-player). During his four years at Cambridge University he studied piano with John Lill and then the organ at York with Nicholas
Danby and Francis Jackson, at the same time holding the post of organ scholar at
York Minster.
Just prior to his move to Wales in 1984, Andrew won the National Eisteddfod's
'Tlws y Cerddor' with Sefyddfa a Sgwrs for clarinet, strings, horn and accordion. But before
and since then his compositions have been played (and broadcast) by many well known
artists such as Peter Lawson, Andrew Ball, Julian Jacobson (piano), Nancy
Ruffer (flute), John Wallace (trumpet), Susanne Stanzeleit, Madeleine Mitchell
(violin), (piano) Kevin Bowyer (organ), and by ensembles such as Lontano, the
Wallace Collection and the Medici String Quartet (who played his string quartet
commissioned by the BBC). He has written three operas and other dramatic works.
He won the Bournemouth-Parry International Festival composition prize in 1999 with
a piece (Psalm 29) which has since been taken on tour in Australia by the Sydney
Chamber Choir.
As a result of his long-standing involvement with period music as a player and
teacher, he is particularly interested in writing for early instruments – explaining the
commissions for music from Fretwork and Charivari Agréable. His concerto
grosso (Greenhouse Effect) was written for the Welsh Baroque Orchestra, a period
instrument ensemble which he founded and directs.
Recently completed commissions include Three Hail Marys (ten-piece brass) for the
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and The Fox, a cantata for period
instruments first performed by the Welsh Baroque Soloists, summer 2005. In 2006
new works performed include a Guitar Concerto, a Trio for clarinet, cello and piano and a choral work 'Neijal', with the help of which the choir Godre'r Garth won a major competition at the 2006 National Eisteddfod.
Andrew writes liturgical music for the Christian church in a style vocally accessible to
congregations while attempting to avoid adherence to a particular tradition. He has
created responsorial settings to nearly 40 psalms, alongside hymns, cantatas and
musicals.
For the past two years Andrew has been Chairman of Composers of Wales, an
organisation which seeks to represent about 50 composers in Wales, providing a
forum for their music.
Rhestr
gwaith:
Selected list of recent works:
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Awakenings (flute
and piano) (1993)
perf Go West Festival, Vale of Glamorgan Festival, etc
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10’
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Panjandrum (solo
concert, alto or bass flute) (1995)
perf York Late Music Festival, etc about 24 performances to
date, ‘brilliantly conceived and executed’ - Western Mail
2.11.98)
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4’
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Iduneko (1997)
(violin and cello) 2001; a 'necklace' of 11 Basque melodies
for string duo, first perf, York Late Music Festival, Lucy
Waterhouse (vln), Paul Kellet (vc)
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11'
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Four Villeneuve Frescoes
(two bass viols) (2000) premiere London RCM
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12’
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Four Villeneuve Frescoes
(version for 6 viols) commissioned by Fretwork
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6’
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four
unaccompanied chorusses to words by E.E.Cummings:
springtime, o moon, little man (2000), now i lay (1990)
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c10' |
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Quadro ‘Entwurff’ (2000)
(baroque vln, flute, bass viol, hpschd), perf Vale of Glam
Festival
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9'
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aimez-vous brahms?
(violin and piano) (2002) short version first perf Lower Machen Festival June 2002, Madeleine Mitchell (vln), Andrew Ball (pf)
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11'
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aimez-vous brahms?,
(2002) long (original) version first version Bangor New Music Festival April 2007, Matthew Jones (vln), Michael Hampton (piano)
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c15'
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Tango Passacaglia
(after BWV 582, 2002) versions:
a. London version (vln, bandoneon, gtr, piano, bass)
b. PM version (fl, cl, vln, vc, piano)
c. version for vln and piano (2005)
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6'
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digital sonata
(viola and digital piano) (2004/5), first perfs Philip Heyman
(viola pomposa), Zoe Smith (dig piano) Chapter Arts Centre
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12'
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Three Hail Marys (2004)
(4 tr, hn, 4 trb, tuba, opt perc) commissioned by RWCMD, first
perf by RWCMD ten-piece brass, Nov 2004, pub BrassWind
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11'
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lovecrumbs (2004)
(fl, cl, vln, vc, piano) settings of E.E.Cummings, first perf
PM ens, York Late Music Festival, March 2004)
2 little whos, i like my body, lily has a rose [others
projected]
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8'
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The fox (2005)
(sop, baroque ob, bass viol, hpschd) text Elinor Kapp, comm.
Sophia McKenna, also version for modern instrs
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12' |
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Trio (2006) (cl,
vc, pf) first perf Trio 114, Wales Millennium Centre, Oct 2005
(mvt 1)/St David's Hall, Apr 2006 (cpte)
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12' |
Concerto Grosso: Greenhouse Effect (2006) (fl, vln, bsn, hps/org, str) for baroque orchestra, first perf Trinity College Carmarthen
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10' |
Neijal (2006) 4-6-part chorus, text (Welsh) Ifor ap Glyn, commissioned Cor Godre'r Garth
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4' |
CALM
(soprano sax and piano - also version for clarinet and piano)
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5' |
Three Stevie Smith Songs (mezzo-sop, cl, piano): Lady 'Rogue' Singleton, Si peu séduisante, Monsieur Pussy-Cat, Blackmailer. First perf Trinity College, Carmarthen, jun 12th 2007 (Sylvia Strand, Graham Jones,
AWD)
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7' |
Three
Songs of Spam (voice,
clar, cello), commissioned by Opera Mint, first perf Birmingham
Custard Factory, June 23rd 2007, Zoe Challenor,
soprano
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13' |
For more details,
please visit: http://www.wilson-dickson.co.uk/
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