January 2002 spnm in 2002     I have taken this opportunity to hijack new notes, normally reserved for exploring some burning issue in the new music world, to outline some of spnm’s activities in the coming months and also to identify the destination of some of your gratefully received membership fees. Since the 2001/02 season is already nearly halfway through, it also seems to me an appropriate point at which to thank Artistic Director Steve Martland for his inspired input to a full two years’ worth of events. Here are a few high-lights from the next seven months: Orchestras Hearing your orchestral works is one of the most valuable opportunities for a composer – and often one of the hardest to achieve. We are delighted to be able to address this through a rekindling of our relationship with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, who will read through three works from the current shortlist in a session with conductor Martyn Brabbins on 29 January – big orchestra, very quiet by Andrew Hamilton, The Pure Good of Theory by Tarik O’Regan and Vortex by Sarah Henderson. We’re equally pleased that Barrington Pheloung – no stranger to the spnm and leader of our "Composing for Film" project in 1997 – has programmed Kevin Flanagan’s shortlisted trumpet concerto Like Miles on 15 March as part of his new "Sonic" festival, which takes place in venues throughout Surrey. These events greatly enhance our current portfolio of professional orchestra collaborators – the Britten Sinfonia, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the City of London Sinfonia. New work in Greenwich spnm Council member Paul Goodey, Head of Wind Brass and Percussion at Trinity College of Music, has programmed the work of shortlisted composers in student concerts throughout the year. Many works will be performed in Trinity’s magnificent new surroundings at the Old Naval College in Greenwich – see overleaf for details. Sticks’n’Strings In February we continue our relationship with the Goldberg Ensemble and their Artistic Director Malcolm Layfield. This year Steve Martland has selected three shortlisted composers – Naomi Waltham-Smith, Simon Mawhinney and Owen Bourne – to write new concertos for marimba and strings. All three pieces will be performed in concerts and explored in workshops given by the Goldberg Ensemble in their 2002 Contemporary Festival. As part of spnm’s commitment to forging new relationships between composers and performers, each composer has been paired with a different soloist: Julian Warburton, Adrian Spillett and Sam Walton will perform in Manchester (15 Feb), Leeds (22 Feb) and Wolverhampton (28 Feb) respectively. Festival Features This year the London Sinfonietta’s State of the Nation festival takes place on 27 and 28 April at the South Bank Centre. The weekend will feature works from the spnm shortlist. Two of the London summer festivals have new Artistic Directors this year, both keen to offer opportunities to spnm composers. Peter Wiegold is guest director at the Isleworth Festival in May, presenting new works by shortlisted composers for the intriguing combination of twelve trombones, members of Ballet Rambert and the Brentford Steam Museum. Then over the other side of London in June, Jonathan Dove starts in his new role at the Spitalfields Festival by programming a strand of second performances of spnm works from recent years. At this year’s Bath Festival we’re very happy to be working with the Elision Ensemble from Australia, who on 1 June, under the artistic direction of Daryl Buckley, will feature newly written works by members of the shortlist in a workshop and a lunchtime concert. There’s also an international flavour to spnm’s collaboration with the City of London Festival on 27 June. Through a general call to the shortlist, composers will be invited to write works inspired by medieaval fragments and the work of Croatian artist Dragan Andgelic, for the Orlando Consort. The concert will take place in one of Sir Christopher Wren’s city churches against the backdrop of one of Andgelic’s twelve iconic angel paintings. Alongside all of these events, we will continue to provide professional development opportunities to composers: c4k (composing for kids) – funded by the Alan Fluck Memorial Fund of the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund – enters its third year, with a further series of partnerships between shortlisted composers and primary schools creating new work for young performers. The first half of 2002 will also see a number of performances of works generated by the Adopt A Composer scheme, funded by the PRS Foundation and run by spnm in collaboration with Making Music. A developed version of the original scheme will come on stream in September 2002 with six new partnerships between spnm composers and Making Music member societies. sound inventors – a major new initiative funded by Youth Music with partnership finds from the PRS Foundation – will launch its activity, comprising twenty major projects in locations across England, in March 2002. sound inventors will complement spnm's core activity described here and will be managed by its own dedicated team (see the advert on the opposite page if you want to get involved). The enthusiasm of our collaborators, composers and funders is always heartening in an environment within which "new music" can sometimes be considered dirty words. So I will take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported our work and to invite you all to celebrate spnm’s 60th birthday through special events in the 2002/03 season - watch this space! – Gill Graham, Executive Director, spnm What do you think? We would welcome any responses to the articles featured in new notes. Click here to read what other people have thought about recent cover articles. The monthly listings magazine new notes is essential reading for composers, performers, and everyone interested in what's new in new music. In its printed version new notes reaches over 5,000 contemporary music enthusiasts in the UK and around the world. If you promote new music events you should advertise them in new notes. Single concert listings are just £50+VAT. The magazine also features ads for festivals, composer competitions, recordings and more. new notes also features monthly articles on issues at the forefront of new music special offers on CDs, tickets, scores and books for spnm members information about forthcoming spnm events a free classified section for spnm members' non-trade ads. For full details on advertising or inserting leaflets in new notes please contact the Editor: John Fosbrook e-mail telephone fax

Event listings for this month   Previous articles: December 2001 There's no word in Finnish for workshop November 2001 New Opera? October 2001 Composer Associations September 2001 Private Commissioning July 2001 Joined-up Commissioning May 2001 The Martland Interview April 2001 Looking Four-wards March 2001 Chamber Made February 2001 Publishing, Promotion and Profitability January 2001 From the World to the Warehouse December 2000 What price new music? November 2000 Composing for dance from start to finish October 2000 John Lambert remembered July 2000 Joanna MacGregor June 2000 Announcing the shortlist May 2000 Word of mouse April 2000 Child's Play March 2000 tables turned February 2000 the ENO Studio January 2000 a challenge from Michael Oliva December 1999 into the next century... November 1999 Joanna MacGregor writes October 1999 obsessed with consuming? September 1999 spnm welcomes Joanna MacGregor. July/August 1999 Spectrum 2 - miniatures for piano. June 1999 Hoxton Hall New Music Days. May 1999 Bath International Music Festival is 50. April 1999 Who is Georges Aperghis? March 1999 On frost, birth and death February 1999 Keeping busy... January 1999 Now that's what I call contemporary!