Nigel Clarke (composer)

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Nigel Clarke (born 1960) is a British composer and musician. He is a former head of composition and contemporary music at the London College of Music and Media. [1]

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Clarke began his career as a military bandsman, then studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music with composer Paul Patterson. [2] While at the Royal Academy, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Excellence. He was previously Young Composer in Residence at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Composition and Contemporary Music Tutor at the Royal Academy of Music, London, Head of Composition at the London College of Music and Media, a visiting tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music and Associate Composer to the world-famous Black Dyke Mills Band, Associate Composer to the Band of the Grenadier Guards, Composer-in-Residence to the Marinierskapel der Koninklijke Marine (Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy) and Associate Composer to Brass Band Buizingen in Belgium. He has also been guest professor at the Xinjiang Arts Institute in China and Associate Composer to the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall. More recently he has been Visiting Composer to Middle Tennessee State University Bands.

In 1997, Clarke visited the United States as part of the country's International Visitor Leadership Program, and the President's Own Marine Band performed one of his pieces, "Samurai", conducted by Colonel Timothy Foley. [2] The Winnipeg Fress Press described the piece as a throbbing, raucous work influenced by Japanese drumming. [3]

In 2015 he collaborated with Danish writer Malene Sheppard Skærved on his first symphony ("A Richer Dust") for Speaker and Symphonic Wind Orchestra. Using music and words, ‘A Richer Dust’ explores what it means to live with violence and extremism, the constant companions of human history. The intertwined text and music, ideas and images, weave together voices ranging from those of historically significant figures through to the voiceless, ordinary people living in extraordinary times. "A Richer Dust" was commissioned by Dr Reed Thomas and the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Wind Ensemble. It was premiered on 14 April 2015 by Dr Reed Thomas (Conductor), H. Stephen Smith (Speaker) and the MTSU Wind Ensemble in the T. Earl Music Hall, Wright Music Building, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA. The European Premiere was given by the Regimental Band of the Irish Guards on 6 November in the Guards Chapel, London, under the baton of the composer with WO1 Andrew Porter as Speaker.

A number of Clarke's works have been recorded on the Naxos Record label, most recently with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.

Early life

After failing the 11 plus, Clarke attended St. John's Secondary Modern School, Margate, UK. In 1979 he joined the Staff Band of the Royal Army Medical under the direction of Major Peter Parkes and attended the Royal Military School of Music (Kneller Hall) the same year. In 1982 Clarke started his studies as a composition student at the Royal Academy of Music and also joined the Band of the Irish Guards which he served with until 1986.

Discography

Film Score Recordings

Accolades

Works by Nigel Clarke

Chamber music
Keyboard
String orchestra
Brass band


Symphonic Wind Orchestra/Concert Band
Educational

Original Motion Picture Scores (Co-written with Michael Csanyi Wills)

Book contributions

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References

  1. ↑ Bone, Lloyd E.; Paull, Eric R.; Morris, Winston. Guide to the Euphonium Repertoire. Indiana University Press, 2007, p. 452.
  2. 1 2 Clarke, Nigel. Biography Archived 1 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine , Nigel-clarke.co.uk, accessed 5 April 2010.
  3. ↑ Nemerofsky, Gwenda. Unexpected percussion discussion bang on, Winnipeg Free Press , 2 May 2009.
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