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Colin Matthews

Composer

Matthews, like Britten, has the gift of creating crisply memorable material …

— Edward Greenfield, The Guardian

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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28 March, 2023 - Time Stands Still, Dual, 23 Frames for Piano, Horn and String Trio
Nash Ensemble
Wigmore Hall, London

28 March, 2023 - Seascapes
Claire Booth (soprano), Nash Ensemble
Wigmore Hall, London

1 April, 2023 - Hidden Agenda
London Bridge Trio
Hall 2, The Sage Gateshead, Tyne and Wear

28 May, 2023 - Mosaics (world premiere)
London Symphony Orchestra, Francois-Xavier Roth
Barbican Hall, London

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Useful Links

Faber Music
NMC Recordings
The Holst Foundation

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