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Colin Matthews

Composer

The writing is energetic, skilful, imaginative, and organic, as Matthews’ music always is …

— Stephen Pettitt, The Times

Canonic Overture: Arms Racing (1983, revised 1997). Orchestra

Image of the CND symbol

This four-minute overture was written very quickly in the summer of 1983 for a Hiroshima Day concert in aid of London Region CND.  Composers and performers donated their services, and the scratch orchestra (which included a high proportion of well-known London musicians) was conducted by Oliver Knussen on approximately 15 minutes rehearsal.

There was no time, in composing this piece, to devise subtle canons: but since my aim was to depict the grim absurdity of arms races, subtlety was not a priority.  The canonic writing is deliberately clumsy, with entries literally falling over each other in their desire to get to the next double bar-line.

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20 January, 2021 - La cathédrale engloutie (Debussy/Matthews)
Orchestre de Paris, Ludovic Morlot (conductor)
Philharmonie, Paris, France

4 February, 2021 - Eleven Studies in Velocity
Royal Academy of Music
Livestreamed from the David Josefowitz Recital Hall

27 April, 2021 - Seascapes (World Premiere)
Nash Ensemble
Wigmore Hall, London

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Faber Music
NMC Recordings
The Holst Foundation

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