October Composer Residential produces wonderful work

In October we hosted our first Composer programme residential of 2015-16.

On October 24th, ten eager composers arrived at Bicton College. Ordinarily an agricultural college during term time, Bicton is situated in the middle of the Devon countryside. Its idyllic and peaceful grounds made for a perfect composing environment.

Composer and percussionist Peadar Townsend and SWMS Head of Programmes Elfyn Jones led this residential for SWMS composition students. The residential focused on counterpoint – the interplay between different musical voices.

The composers rose to the challenge wonderfully, creating a diversity of music that ranged from the comic to the tragic, and from the conversational to the hysterical.

The composers – all of whom are also instrumentalists – all performed each other’s pieces at this residential, and it was great to see how this brought them together in appreciation of each other’s music.

South West Music School composers’ residentials are normally fairly laid-back affairs, but this one, in the beautiful autumnal surroundings of Bicton College, was particularly relaxed and good-natured, and definitely one to savour.