News

At the start of this month I will be in Hobart, recording a few pieces with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. This is particularly important to me as one of these works is my "String Songs", and it will be the first recording of this work. I have only heard one performance of it before.

Last month saw the release of "Tranquillity", an ABC Classics recording, also with the T.S.O. and myself conducting. It contains the world première recording (in this version) of Grainger's "Dreamery" for strings. See other details in the CD list.

Most of the home building is finished now, and the new top-floor studio is terrific. The only remaining thing the work area needs is the big table, presently being made out of the old stairway steps. Emma will take some photos soon, and I hope to include one on this homepage next time.

I have had an interesting disagreement with my publisher on the subject of courtesy accidentals in printed music. He is of the strong opinion that brackets around the accidental - e.g. (#) - are unnecessary and clutter the score. My feeling is that the brackets confirm the accuracy of an unexpected note, which might otherwise be thought to be a misprint. Certainly I think there are occasions where it is essential for clarity. I wish I had received a dollar for the number of times a player has held up a rehearsal to ask a question such as "Is that really an F sharp?" when someone else has an F natural. But if the composer has put brackets around the relevant accidental, the question is never asked. Anyhow, if composers such as Ravel, Prokofieff, Vaughan-Williams, Copland, Gershwin, Stravinsky, Debussy, Shostakovich, Scriabin, Fauré, Berg, Britten and Grainger use brackets in similar situations, I do not see why I should not.