Paul Drayton (composer)

Paul Drayton (born 28 December 1944) is a British composer, conductor, pianist, and teacher.

He was educated at High Wycombe Royal Grammar School from 1956 to 1962. He studied music at Brasenose College, Oxford, and was subsequently Director of Music at New College School, Oxford. While there he composed the music for one of the earliest adaptations of The Hobbit , with the text adapted by Humphrey Carpenter. J. R. R. Tolkien gave his permission and came to see the performance. The play ran from 14-17 December 1967. ^{[1] [2]}

Drayton later taught and was composer-in-residence at Stowe School near Buckingham.

Many of his compositions are vocal. His piece entitled Masterpiece was sung by the King's Singers in their 2005 DVD release From Byrd to the Beatles. ^{[3] [4]} He is the author of a listeners' guide to music entitled Unheard Melodies or Trampolining in the Vatican (Athena Press 2008)

He now lives in Cornwall where he has lectured at Truro College on both A-Level and International Baccalaureate courses. He is also a lecturer in adult education.

His opera The Hanging Oak, based on a story by M.R. James, was premiered in October 2009 in several church locations in the south-west of England. 2015 saw the premiere of his choral/orchestral work The Passion of Christ as told by Mark the Evangelist, in Truro Cathedral. ^[5]

He was the musical director of Duchy Opera until the end of 2018. ^[6]

Works

• New College Service (unaccompanied choral Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, written for New College, Oxford)
• Nero (cantata)
• Six Characters in Search of an Opera (cantata, circa 1988)
• Lotos-Land (SATB and piano; words by Tennyson)
• Pavane (organ)
• Choral Prelude and Fugue on "Nun Ruhen Alle Walder" (organ)
• Dance in a Desolate Place (organ)
• Ecce Ancilla Domini (choir)
• The World's Desire (SATB)
• This Starry Stranger (SATB and organ; words by Richard Crashaw)
• Jesu Dulcis Memoria (SSATTB)
• My Soul, There is a Country (SATB)
• The Spacious Firmament (SSATTBB)
• Templa Quam Dilecta (cantata SATB and orchestra; words from Psalm 84)
• Now Glad of Heart Be Everyone (SATB and organ)
• How Like an Angel (SATB and organ)
• Come Rejoicing (SATB)
• Love's Redeeming Work is Done (chorus)
• Corpus Christi Carol (unison)
• The Hanging Oak (opera)
• Masterpiece (1986 or earlier, for choral ensemble) ^[7]
• The Mermaid of Zennor (opera, circa 2011, based on the legend of the mermaid of Zennor)
• The Lark Ascending (choral arrangement, 2019) ^{[8] [9]}

References

1. 'The Hobbit (1967 stage adaptation)', Tolkien Gateway
2. The Hobbit, The Musical. BBC Radio documentary, 4 August, 2012
3. Sauro, Tony (22 March 2009). "Stockton Youth and Master chorales tackling some classic subject material". Recordnet.com. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
4. "The King's Singers – Masterpiece (with subtitles) – Paul Drayton". Archived from the original on 14 December 2021 – via YouTube.
5. "The Passion of Christ as told by Mark the Evangelist".
6. "Welcome to Duchy Opera – FODO / Support Us". Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
7. "The King's Singers, On Stage at Wolf Trap, 1986, at 11:01". Archived from the original on 14 December 2021 – via YouTube.
8. "The Lark Ascending". Oxford University Press. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
9. "Like to the Lark". Classical Music. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2022.

External links

• Duchy Opera
• Paul Drayton Composer