Classical Music, Old and New

I’m sorry to disappoint my small band of followers who I’ve had the pleasure and honour of playing for since early 2016. You’ve heard me in various local venues, sometimes braving very cold conditions, and some have made 160 km round trips. Thank you for your loyalty! For the time being I’m putting on hold my classical piano recitals so I can focus more on composing and publishing my own music.

Since emailing over 400 people about cancelling my recitals scheduled for 16 September and 18 November 2018 in Mundaring in the Perth Hills, Western Australia, I’ve had a couple of unexpected questions. One person asked if this meant I was also giving up teaching, and another wondered if I was ill. Yikes! Human nature, filling-in gaps and making stuff up! To clarify: still teaching, feel remarkably healthy (mentally and physically).

I suppose people wonder why I would cancel if I’m not ill. You must remember that each recital is a major investment of time & energy, and ‘brain real estate.’ I am now so enthusiastic about composing and arranging that I just can’t contemplate all that practice. Every time I sit down to practice I soon stop practicing; I pick up a pencil and resume composing. This composing thing will have to run its course before I can get back into serious playing. When that happens I might put on a recital with fairly short notice (but don’t hold your breath).

In just over two years (May 2016 to July 2018) I performed twelve times, each time playing long programmes of standard repertoire and my own compositions. There were ten recitals in the Hills or Wheatbelt areas outside of Perth, Western Australia in Toodyay, Chidlow, Mundaring and Forrestfield. Two of these were with one or two associate artists, my very talented friends Toni Arndt (soprano) and Naomi Millett (classical guitar).

Many composer names appeared in multiple programmes, both because I played other works by the same composer and because some items were repeated at other venues. The composers were myself, J. S. Bach, Bartók, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Scott Joplin, Felix Mendelssohn, Mozart, Mussorgsky, Ravel, and Schubert. From these twelve composers 66 solo piano works were performed, not counting items repeated in subsequent programmes. Wow, I didn’t know I’d played so many pieces over those couple of years until I added it all up. Even so, this list is only a fraction of what I may one day perform.

My YouTube channel has some videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz318nZdr520zMNK6GNfnjQ Precise details of the items played at each recital are at appearances-performances.

I played long programmes for a renewal of wedding vows at Woodbridge (music-for-renewal-of-wedding-vows-peggies-passing) and a complicated wedding ceremony in the function centre in John Forrest National Park (blog coming soon). In the middle of the latter ceremony the couple insisted I play my 3-minute composition “Rainbows Over Hovea” in its entirety. Everyone had to stop and listen!

I’ve also played for several special days at Yallambee Aged Care and accompanied music exam students at Governor Stirling SHS, something I also did at Eastern Hills SHS in 2013 (I attended both these schools myself a hundred years ago). Since 2014 I have played a few times with the Hills Choir as accompanist or soloist and I’ll accompany them for their December concert coming up.

I will still be available to play for wedding ceremonies, students doing exams, and choirs. Perhaps house concerts? Still also available for teaching piano, singing and music theory, plus house sitting and pet minding.

Will blog soon about my current compositions in progress.