Max Charles Davies

Born in Birmingham in 1981, and subsequently spending his childhood in Cardiff, Max Charles Davies developed an interest in composition at the age of 15 after studying the piano and ‘cello.

After winning the Young Catholic Composer award in 2000 with his first orchestral work – the symphonic poem Light Has Dawned, Max entered the Royal College of Music to study composition with William Mival and later the ‘cello with Lowri Blake, receiving a Foundation Scholarship at the end of his first year and graduating in 2004 with a BMus (Hons) degree. During his RCM years he composed a number of successful works, including Elegy for Baritone and Violoncello, written for Simon Wallfisch, which has been widely performed and broadcast on Radio 3, Slow Motion Slide Show for Double Brass Dectet, premiered by members of the RCMJD and Brass10 and subsequently published by Warwick Music, Farewell to the Promised Land, premiered by the Composer’s Ensemble conducted by Christopher Austin, his first String Quartet Iridescence, written for and premiered by the Sacconi Quartet, and a second large-scale work for orchestra, Exultet. 

In September 2005, Max commenced MMus studies at Cardiff University under the supervision of Anthony Powers, winning the Welsh Livery Guild Award for Music Composition 2006 at the end of the academic year. He will remain at Cardiff and commence his doctoral studies in October 2006.

Recent works have included Raining Sunlight, which has recently been shortlisted by the spnm (Society for the Promotion of New Music), Panorama, for quintet, written for the PM Ensemble, and Dark Love Songs – Two Housman Settings for Baritone Voice Ensemble. He is currently writing a large-scale orchestral work – Cells and Sanctuaries, as well as a new Liturgical Theatre Piece – Passio Christi, with Theology Scholar Daveth Frost, which is being premiered in St David’s Cathedral, Cardiff in 2008. Max has also been commissioned by Sound Affairs to write a new work for the ensemble Entr’acte with funds provided by the Arts Council of Wales and the PRS Foundation through their joint commissioning scheme. The work will be toured in February 2007.

For more information please visit http://www.maxcharlesdavies.com  
 

List of works

For more comprehensive information, including programme notes and sound clips, please visit http://www.maxcharlesdavies.com

Lullaby, for solo piano (2003)

Duration: 6 Minutes

Laying Demons to Rest, for Oboe and Piano (2003)

Duration: 8 Minutes

Commissioned by Christopher Braime.

First Performance: 14th November 2002, Downing College, Cambridge, by Christopher Braime (Oboe) and Isolda Crespi (Piano)

Published by: Warwick Music

Elegy, for Baritone and Violoncello (written for one performer) (2001)

Duration: 7 Minutes

Text: Taken from Elegy, by Dylan Thomas

Commissioned by Simon Wallfisch

First Performance: 4th February 2002, Room 90, Royal College of Music, London, by Simon Wallfisch

Introduction and Lament for Solo Flute (2000)

Duration: 6 Minutes

First performance: 22nd May 2001, Durrington Room, Royal College of Music, London, by Vienna Guy ("VV")

Meditation, for Violoncello and Piano (1999)

Duration: 9 Minutes

The Wilderness of Inistioge, for Violin and Marimba (1998-2001)

Movements: 1. Nocturne

2. Elegy

3. Conclusion

Duration: 20 Minutes

First Performance: Unperformed in its entirety to date. 2nd Movement ‘Elegy’ performed on 6th December 1999, Llanishen High School, Cardiff, by Anna Cresswell (Violin) and Sarah Cresswell (Marimba)

Movement, for Viola and Piano (1998)

Duration: 9 ½ Minutes

Paris in Autumn, for Violin and Piano (1997)

Duration: 8 Minutes

First Performance: 1st April 1998, Corpus Christi High School, Cardiff, by Rhys Watkins (Violin) and Max Charles Davies (Piano)

 

 

Spirit Dances, for Clarinet, Violoncello and Piano (2004)

Duration: 5 Minutes

Tantrum and Elegy, for Brass Quintet (2004)

Duration: 3 Minutes

Commissioned by Peter Bassano

Iridescence, for String Quartet (2003, revised 2004)

Duration: 12 Minutes

First Performance: 11th January 2004, Quartetfest at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, by the Sacconi Quartet

Remembering Games, for Wind Quintet (2003)

Duration: 7 ½ Minutes

First Performance: 3rd July 2003, recital Hall, Royal College of Music, London, by the Zephyr Ensemble

Silent Pentecost, for Violoncello solo, Flute, Clarinet, Violin and Piano (2002)

Duration: 5 ½ Minutes

First Performance: 7th July 2002, Concert Hall, Royal College of Music, London, by the New Consort Quintet

Two Faces, for 9 players (2001)

Movements (played without a break):

    1. Monody
    2. Meditation
    3. Contrapuntal Exploration
    4. Core
    5. Fusion
    6. Conclusion

Duration: 3 Minutes

 

 

Trinity – Credo, for 12 Horns and 4 Tubas (2003)

Movements (played without a break):

    1. Invocation
    2. Emmanuel
    3. Ministry
    4. Credo

Duration: 13 Minutes

Commissioned by Peter Bassano

First Performance: 3rd July 2003, Concert Hall, Royal College of Music, London, by the RCM Brass Ensemble, conducted by Peter Bassano

Published by: Warwick Music

Slow Motion Slide Show, for Double Brass Dectet (2002)

Duration: 8 Minutes

Commissioned by the Royal College of Music Junior Department

First Performance: 6th July 2002, Concert Hall, Royal College of Music, by Brass10 and the RCM Junior Department Senior Brass Ensemble, conducted by Peter Harvey

Published by: Warwick Music

 

 

Exultet, for Large Symphony Orchestra (2004)

Duration: 11 Minutes

3 Dream Miniatures, for Symphony Orchestra (2001-2003)

Movements: 1. After The Lullaby…

2. Sculptures

3. Aquatic Ruin

Duration: 7 Minutes

First Performances: After The Lullaby 15th May 2001, Sculptures 27th May 2002 and Aquatic Ruin 12th June 2003, Concert Hall, Royal College of Music, London, by the RCM Sinfonietta, conducted by Neil Thomson

Light Has Dawned, for Large Symphony Orchestra (2000)

Duration: 20 Minutes

Winner of the Young Catholic Composer 2000 award

 

 

Bad Blood! – An "Opera-Musical" in 3 Acts (2002-2003)

Lyrics by Steve Woods

Duration: 120 Minutes

Commissioned by Class Act Youth Theatre

 

 

Farewell to the Promised Land, for Video Art and Ensemble

Video Art by Daniel Mair and Frederico Fazenda

Duration: 6 Minutes

First Performance: 6th July 2003, Institute of Child Health London, by The Composers’ Ensemble, conducted by Christopher Austin

Written as part of the project On Growth and Form

 

 

Animation Music, for Trumpet and backing track (2004)

Duration: 1 ½ Minutes

First Performance: 26th February 2004, Royal College of Music Studios, London, by Simon Dobson. MIDI prepared by Max Charles Davies

Tom, Jerry and Cheese, for Orchestra (2004)

Duration: 1 Minute

First Performance: 27th May 2004, Concert Hall, Royal College of Music, London, by the RCM Sinfonietta, conducted by Neil Thomson

 

"Elevator" Music, for solo Piano (2003)

Duration: 7 Minutes

There are also songs from the "Opera-Musical" Bad Blood! that can be performed as individual pieces of light music, and numerous arrangements

 

 

Youth Mass (2003)

Movements: 1. Gloria!

2. Gospel Acclamation

3. Holy, Holy

4. Memorial Acclamation

5. The Great Amen

6. Lamb of God

Duration of Music: 8 Minutes

Commissioned by Christ The King Parish Church, Cardiff

First Performance: 8th November 2003, Christ The King Parish Church, Cardiff, by Christ The King Folk Group and Choir

 

 

Charles Ives – Study No. 22 for Piano, arranged for Orchestra (2004)

Duration: 2 Minutes

John Martyn – May You Never, from the Album Solid Air, arranged for Jazz Quartet (2004)

Duration: 4 ½ Minutes