Joanna MacGregor was spnm Artistic Director for Artistic Season 1999/2000. "I feel thrilled at the prospect of working even more closely with spnm in the future and hope that its irreplaceable work will go from strength to strength." Click here for details of our current season (2001/2002) And click here for details of Steve Martland's season in 2000/2001. IN JOANNA MACGREGOR'S SEASON... In line with its developmental strategy spnm forged new and exciting collaborations. BBC Proms 18 July 2000 spnm was involved in an evening Prom concert. Three composers created new work with three youth groups. Alec Roth with the Finchley Childrens Choir; Nitin Sawney for the Asian Music Network and Peter McGarr (nominated by spnm) with the Bolton String Group. Gary Carpenter wrote linking passages performed by Joanna MacGregor and Ensemble Bash. Hoxton New Music Days 30 June 2000 The Composers Ensemble performed three specially-written works by Andrew Wilson, Philip Clark and Christine McCombe. Spitalfields Festival 10 June 2000 Christ Church, Commercial Street, London E1 Saxophone quartets by Christopher Beardsley, Alan Stones, Martin Read and Dai Fujikara, and an octet by Roderick Skeaping, all selected following a special call for submissions, were performed in a concert by the Apollo Saxophone Quartet and Saxploitation. Cage meets Gamelan 2 June 2000 Nine composers were selected for spnm's introduction to writing for Gamelan, with a view to writing a two-minute episode for performance in a late night concert on 2 June 2000 at the Bath Festival. Colin Broom, Jane Gardner (writing for gamelan & prepared piano), Fred Maintenant, Hettie Malcomson, Terry Mann, Martin Read, Brian Wilshere, plus Luke Bedford and Ben Foskett from RCM. In total, eight new episodes for Gamelan were interwoven between a selection of Cage's Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano. Joanna MacGregor performed the Cage pieces. The RCM Gamelan Group and members of the South Bank Gamelan Players performed the episodes. The inspiration for each episode is one of the nine Hindu emotions, which were allocated during the first weekend on 22/23 January. spnm in Liverpool 27 & 28 May 2000 A collaboration with the Liverpool Tate – Christopher Beardsley, Michael Bunce, Hywel Davies, Christopher Long, Tom Wallace and Michael Wolters wrote musical layers to enhance exhibitions by Peter Blake and American Abstract artists. David Charles Martin, Geoffrey Palmer and Roderick Skeaping created works inspired by art by Tony Cragg, to be performed in a Saturday evening concert by members of Ensemble 10:10 alongside Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. Composers also wrote music for the Albert Dock area, and Urban Strawberry Lunch performed from the floating podium in the Dock. A collaboration with Hope on the Waterfront also took place, entitled 'new music to old film'. Isleworth Festival 16 & 21 May 2000 West London's own festival. spnm co-hosted a Hothouse event (16th) - acts of around 20 minutes in a platform at Syon House Orangery. Also, four spnm composers worked with dancers from the Rambert Dance Company (21st). State of the Nation, South Bank 15 & 16 April 2000 The annual festival celebrating some of Britan's talented new composers. spnm's involvement also included a video of last year's Catwalk project as a concert item. Also, spnm ran First Impressions sessions at 1pm and 3pm on Sun 16 April, led by composer Graham Fitkin, and Kate Jones, press and marketing consultant. The sessions focused on how best to present yourself and your music using biographies, CVs and programme notes. There was also the opportunity to get advice on publicity photos from a professional photographer. Britten Sinfonia 18 March 2000, 3pm: Cramphorn Theatre, Chelmsford 19 March 2000, 7.30pm: Civic Theatre, Chelmsford Britten Sinfonia Soloists • Jean Rigby mezzo soprano • James MacMillan conductor     Jeremy Aknai Olney Hymns     Geoffrey Allan Taylor Ground     Catherine Nelson Delay     Nicholas Collins Study on Allan Forte 73:21 Four new works were selected after a call for pieces in new notes from composers resident or studying in the UK. The four works, using the same instrumentation as James MacMillan's 'Raising Sparks', were played and discussed on 18 March, and one will be selected for performance on the 19th. BBC Singers Reading Day, Amadeus Centre 16 March 2000 – 11am-1.30pm & 2.30-4pm Amadeus Centre, 50 Shirland Road, London W9 The BBC Singers read through works specially selected from the spnm shortlist, with conductor Simon Joly and session leader John Woolrich: Julian Allwood Charades III • Tim Coker Only our love • Naomi Waltham-Smith Ave Atque Vale • Nicholas Brown The Divine Image • Andrew Hamilton One • Alexander Levine Stradanie 2 Lontano 5, 12 & 19 March 2000, 7.30pm Four works from the spnm shortlist performed by Lontano in concerts at the Studio Theatre, Union Chapel, London N1. Composers: Sara Carvalho (5 March), Rachel Leach (12 March), Gráinne Mulvey & Jane Gardner (19 March). BBC National Orchestra of Wales 6 & 7 December 1999 BBC Studios, Cardiff Three works by spnm composers were performed at workshops, giving the chance for feedback and communication between composers and performers. Composers: Cameron Sinclair, Chris Long, Jonathan Raine Duke Quartet and Friends 20 November 1999 St Pauls Hall, Huddersfield This concert formed part of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, and featured works by five spnm selected composers alongside works by David Lang and Kevin Volans. The Duke Quartet were joined by Rick Koster (solo violin), Duncan Prescott (clarinet), Hazel Woodcock (flute) and Karl Lutchmayer (piano). Composers: Rachel Leach, Guto Pryderi Puw, Matthew Wright, Martin Read, Tansy Davies Sounds Positive 16 November 1999 London College of Music and Media This workshop and lunchtime concert at the Vestry Hall featured works by five composers on the spnm shortlist. Composers: Christopher Woodley, Rory Boyle, Timothy Johnson, Philip Clark, Sarah Rodgers Liverpool Club Event 13 November 1999 Unity Theatre, Liverpool Pianist and spnm artistic director Joanna MacGregor, DJs Matthew Wright and Tom Wallace combined with composer/improvisers in this late night event. Composers: Matthew Wright, Tom Wallace, Robert Broadley Paragon Ensemble 1 & 2 November 1999 Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow & Queens Hall Edinburgh The Paragon Ensemble under artistic director David Davies gave two performances of three works by spnm composers. Composers: Marcos Vieira Lucas, Timothy Raymond, Cameron Sinclair City of London Sinfonia 31 October & 5 November 1999 Henry Wood Hall and Barbican Hall, London Works by four spnm composers were read through in a workshop with conductor Marin Alsop and the City of London Sinfonia, under the guidance of composer and workshop leader Alasdair Nicolson. Joe CutlerÕs The Dubious Concoctions of Dr Tillystrom was selected to open the CLS concert in the Barbican Centre the following week. Composers: Joe Cutler, Robert Howard, Peter McGarr, Pete Godfrey Firebird Ensemble 28 October 1999 St Pauls Hall, Huddersfield Works by spnm composers were performed alongside pieces by students from Huddersfield University at a workshop and evening concert. Barry Webb conducted the Firebird ensemble in these performances. Composers: Dai Fujikura, David Breeze, Mary Bellamy PRS Adopt a Composer Scheme Five spnm composers have been paired with amateur orchestras as part of the PRS Adopt a Composer Scheme in association with the NFMS. They are:   • Tom Ingoldsby with the EMG Symphony Orchestra, Exeter   • Rachel Leach with Leicester Symphony Orchestra   • Christine McCombe with Darlington Orchestra   • Iain Matheson with Meadows Chamber Orchestra, Edinburgh   • Graham Sheen with the Westmorland Youth Orchestra The composers are being mentored on the scheme, to create new works for performance in late 2000 and early 2001. Composing for Kids Composing for Kids is a new project creating contemporary repertoire for school children to rehearse and perform in class and out of school. spnm's c4k project will give emerging composers the opportunity to create new work in association with teachers and their pupils. In the project's first year, spnm, with support from the Alan Fluck Memorial Fund of the Musicians Benevolent Fund, John Lewis Partnership and the Britten-Pears Foundation, has paired four emerging composers with three primary schools and one secondary school launching them on a year long practical training scheme. These composers, working in collaboration with teachers and schools, are creating new contemporary repertoire for children with the guidance of established mentors in the fields of choral work and music/theatre. The project's hands-on approach enables the composer to work directly with the schoolÕs resources and to benefit from input from teachers on the future delivery of the new works. Each piece will be performed by the school group for whom it has been written, both inside and outside the school environment. At the end of each year the new pieces will be published and made available to other schools and community groups along with a CD and teacher pack. This will expand the bank of contemporary repertoire for young people. c4k 1999/2000 composers mentors participating schools teachers Mary Bellamy David Knotts schools in Sheffield   Robert Broadley Ronald Corp Holy Trinity School, Tulse Hill Carol Burt Terry Mann Alasdair Nicolson schools in London   Matthew Wright Richard Williams Bispham High School, Blackpool Janice Pounds For more information about c4k email And beyond... Watch out for updates here on the spnm web site and in new notes every month.   spnm gratefully acknowledges generous financial support from The Arts Council of England, London Arts Board, The Britten Pears Foundation, The Esmée Fairbairn Charitable Trust, The Eastern Arts Board, The Paul Hamlyn Foundation, The Hinrichsen Foundation, The Holst Foundation, The Idlewild Trust, John Lewis Partnership, The Ludgate Trust administrated by the Musicians' Benevolent Fund, The Performing Right Society, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation, The RVW Trust and the Year of Opera and Music Theatre.

Joanna MacGregor Artistic Director 1999/2000