MUSIC MADE TO MEASURE This year will see the departure of Director of Music, Richard Mayo, after more than 20 years in the role, in which he has commissioned a range of significant pieces of music. Elliot Coulson finds out more
ELLIOT COULSON: are you able to recall the first piece of music which you commissioned as Director of Music here at the College? RICHARD MAYO: yes: it was a piece by the late Anthony Hershell Hill, entitled, ‘Again to Heaven’, commissioned for the Chapel Choir. EC: Could you tell me about our Visiting Composer, Ce- cilia McDowall? How important has it been to you to be able to commission music from her, over the years? RM: We’ve been so fortunate to have Cecilia as our Visiting Composer. I remember calling her in, I think, my second or third year here, knowing the quality of her compositions, and having a sense of how she worked as an educational composer. I was deeply impressed by her warmth and knowledge, by her commitment to music and by her interest in what we were doing musically here at the College. I felt strongly that she could do important work with us, in helping to stimulate composition here. It is no surprise that her career has burgeoned in the last ten to fifteen years: she is now regarded as one of the foremost composers in this country and around the world. She is a highly gifted composer and someone the College is very proud to be associated with. EC: Could you describe the process of collaboration? What do you ask of a composer, and in how much detail? Do you continue to communicate through the process of composition, or do you wait until you receive a complete work? RM: Conversations with the composer and, when possi- ble, the author of the text are crucial at the outset. Equal- ly, allowing the composer space for artistic freedom is key. The objective is to enable the composition of a piece
of music that can be successfully performed, leaving a lasting impression on the performers and listeners as well as generating a desire for repeat performance (having a presence in the commercial market). It needs to appeal to the performer, as well as the critical and non-critical lis- tener. When you are looking to commission a piece, you have to identify the right composer, to find a compelling narrative for the occasion, and to keep an eye on making sure that the piece can live on after the first performance. EC: When you are commissioning a piece, which other matters do you take into consideration? RM: the occasion and the space are both important (I am thinking of Southwark Cathedral, the setting for the first performance of Cecilia McDowall’s The White Road ). The performers at your disposal are also of crucial im- portance. A good example is that we were able to have a tenor solo for The White Road , as we had a tenor ca- pable of doing such a piece justice in the form of William Barter-Sheppard. Yes – all of those matter. EC: Have any notable OAs continued the school’s strong compositional tradition in their careers? RM: Yes, many. Most recently, and notably, we have seen the successes enjoyed by Thomas Hewitt Jones. His music has been capturing plenty of performance oppor- tunities and is finding appeal in this country and abroad. ◉
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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