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Christopher Beardsley
Little
Dancers
for
mezzo-soprano, oboe (ca), harp and viola
duration: 7 minutes
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Christopher Beardsley lives near Longridge
in Lancashire and was born in Derby in 1956. He began composing whilst
studying music at Huddersfield University from 1989-92. Whilst there he
won the Woods prize for composition and two works, River and A Rock: consider
it were performed by the Firebird Ensemble. A years study with John
Casken at Manchester University followed, during which time his work Amber
was performed in the Whitworth Art Gallery.
Chris has enjoyed regular performances of his pieces including Aubade
(1994), for oboe and string orchestra, which was performed on two occasions
by Richard Simpson and the Goldberg Ensemble. Further collaboration with
the latter saw first performances of a String Quartet (1994) and
Vain Battle (1994) for string orchestra. In 1996 the Hilliard Ensemble
performed Life's Pride and Cared-for Crown (1995) in London
and at the Siljan Festival in Sweden and the following year John McCabe
gave two performances of Stars in a Dark Night (1997). The work
was later featured on a recording by John McCabe, which appeared on ASC
Classical in early 1998.
Further performances have included a setting of Laurence Binyons
poem Little Dancers (1999) by the group Okeanos in Manchester in
October 1999, and Jubilation (1999) by the Surrey Philharmonic
Orchestra in the Dorking Halls in March 2000.
More recently, Open Homage (2000) for three clarinets was performed
in the Liverpool Tate Gallery during the Mersey New Sounds Day in May
2000 and First of several
Prelude (2000) was performed at
the Spitalfields Festival by the Apollo Saxophone Quartet in June 2000.
Chris Beardsley has been the winner of two prestigious awards. In 1996
Divertimento for string orchestra, won first prize at the Gregynog
Festival and in 1998 Septimal for oboe, french horn, harp and cello
was winner of the quartet section of the 1998 Classic CD Composing Competition.
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