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“Pentecost” selected for London Festival of Contemporary Church Music (May ’24)

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“Pentecost” selected for London Festival of Contemporary Church Music (May ’24)

A short piece for choir and organ, Pentecost, has been selected for inclusion in this year’s London Festival of Contemporary Church Music.  The 2024 festival takes place from May 10-24, spanning Ascension Day, Ascension Sunday and Pentecost, and so my piece Pentecost fits in well with the timing and theme of the festival. 我的一首為合唱團和管風琴而寫的短曲，《聖靈降臨節》，已被入選今年倫敦當代教堂音樂節。2024年的音樂節將於5月10日至24日期間舉行，橫跨升天節、升天主日和聖靈降臨節，因此我的作品《聖靈降臨節》在時機和節慶主題上都很適合。 I wrote…Continue Reading ““Pentecost” selected for London Festival of Contemporary Church Music (May ’24)” →

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Taichung Chamber Choir commission: first rehearsals of sketches (2022.3-4)

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Taichung Chamber Choir commission: first rehearsals of sketches (2022.3-4)

I’m excited to be working with the prize-winning Taichung Chamber Choir and their charismatic conductor I-Chen Yang to compose a new piece for her multimedia choral programme 「原粹」（yuan cui）, which translates directly as something like “original” or “pure”– though perhaps “original essence” expresses best the atmosphere of this interesting performance.  I-Chen Yang has invited me…Continue Reading “Taichung Chamber Choir commission: first rehearsals of sketches (2022.3-4)” →

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Songs for the Buddha’s Birthday (performance of song arrangements for western and Chinese orchestras and choir) (2021.5.8)

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My recent posts are all a little out of order: I’ve just finished re-editing the videos of a performance from May with the students and professors at Nanhua Ethnomusicology.  I was invited to make two arrangements of Buddhist songs celebrating the Buddha’s birthday for the combined forces of the department’s western and Chinese orchestras and…Continue Reading “Songs for the Buddha’s Birthday (performance of song arrangements for western and Chinese orchestras and choir) (2021.5.8)” →

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Guest conductorship: Taichung Chamber Choir (Jazz @ Home concert, 24th Dec. 2020)

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Guest conductorship: Taichung Chamber Choir (Jazz @ Home concert, 24th Dec. 2020)

This happened a while back but I’ve only just got hold of the concert programme. I was honoured to be made a guest conductor of the Taichung Chamber Choir in November 2020, and my first performance with the choir was as part of the Jazz @ Home concert in National Taichung Theatre on December 24…Continue Reading “Guest conductorship: Taichung Chamber Choir (Jazz @ Home concert, 24th Dec. 2020)” →

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Cor Teifi perform “Pied Beauty” at Rhosygilwen (Nov. 2019)

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Cor Teifi perform “Pied Beauty” at Rhosygilwen (Nov. 2019)

Cor Teifi and Cor Teifi Orchestra, with the Haverfordwest Ladies Choir, performed the Western premiere of my piece Pied Beauty, in a concert at Rhosygilwen on 24th November 2019.  The superb conductor and pianist Henry Ward conducted.  They performed the revised version of the work with three vocal parts, which I had originally adapted for…Continue Reading “Cor Teifi perform “Pied Beauty” at Rhosygilwen (Nov. 2019)” →

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Holloway Children’s Choir UK Tour 2019: tour diary

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Holloway Children’s Choir UK Tour 2019: tour diary

The mother of a singer in the children’s choir wrote a moving and lively report of the UK tour, which I’ve translated into English and accompanied by photographs.  Enjoy!   陶妈手记之那年夏天英国行 Mummy Tao (Snow)’s record of our Summer travel in the UK 为了参加Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod（兰戈伦国际音乐节），Holloway Children’s Choir（霍洛韦童声合唱团）师生及家长一行55人，在指挥卢长剑老师和“经济人”周婷婷的带领下，从中国到英国，穿越8266公里，天津-伦敦-兰戈伦-牛津，历时16天，9场演出，2场比赛，2次大师课，3次快闪，21首中外歌曲（7种语言），开启了一次意义非凡的快乐之旅。 The fifty-five members of the Holloway Children’s…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir UK Tour 2019: tour diary” →

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Holloway Children’s Choir: Llangollen TV competition performances, Oxford and London Concerts (July 2019)

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Holloway Children’s Choir: Llangollen TV competition performances, Oxford and London Concerts (July 2019)

The Holloway Children’s Choir’s two competition performances at Llangollen were broadcast live on Llangollen TV: Children’s Folk category: Children’s Folk Choirs | Corau Alaw Werin i Blant Junior Children’s Junior Children’s Choirs | Corau Plant Iau After performing nine times at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, the choir began preparing for our Oxford concert on Monday…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir: Llangollen TV competition performances, Oxford and London Concerts (July 2019)” →

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Holloway Children’s Choir competes and performs at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (July 2019)

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Holloway Children’s Choir competes and performs at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (July 2019)

The Holloway Children’s Choir toured the UK in July 2019.  I founded the Holloway Children’s Choir in Tianjin, China, in January 2018.  The choir aims to introduce Tianjin children to the European, and especially the British choral tradition both liturgical and secular, and to involve Chinese children in the joys of music-making and choir-singing. We…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir competes and performs at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (July 2019)” →

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Holloway Children’s Choir to Compete in the Llangollen International Eisteddfod 2019

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Holloway Children’s Choir to Compete in the Llangollen International Eisteddfod 2019

The Holloway Children’s Choir has had some fantastic news: we have been selected to compete in the Junior and Junior Folk competitions at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod next Summer! Info on the Eisteddfod can be found here: https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/ I’m so proud of the children for this achievement, and I can’t wait to bring them to the…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir to Compete in the Llangollen International Eisteddfod 2019” →

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Holloway Children’s Choir Summer Concert (July 2018)

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Holloway Children’s Choir Summer Concert (July 2018)

My children’s choir has been going well this semester.  I founded it in February after the Tianjin Grand Theatre’s Mulan Children’s Choir ceased to exist (see here: http://georgehollowaycomposer.com/?p=789), and the choir is going from strength to strength.  I absolutely couldn’t have done it without Zhou Ting Ting, and it’s been a huge learning experience for…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir Summer Concert (July 2018)” →

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Highfield Ensemble recording of “I believe in you, my soul” SATB setting of Walt Whitman (Summer 2018)

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Highfield Ensemble recording of “I believe in you, my soul” SATB setting of Walt Whitman (Summer 2018)

The young, adventurous and talented Highfield Ensemble recently made a fantastic recording of my choral setting of a passage from Whitman’s Song of Myself.  Sadly I couldn’t be there myself, but they were so sensitive to the score and detailed in their interpretation, that they didn’t seem to need my personal input at all.  I can’t wait…Continue Reading “Highfield Ensemble recording of “I believe in you, my soul” SATB setting of Walt Whitman (Summer 2018)” →

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Holloway Children’s Choir- inaugural rehearsals (March 2018)

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Holloway Children’s Choir- inaugural rehearsals (March 2018)

Some of you will already know that I’ve recently set up my own children’s choir in Tianjin, the Holloway Children’s Choir.  We had our first rehearsals this weekend.  Most of my students from the now defunct Mulan have come with me on this new journey!  I’m looking forward to teaching them Sumer is icumen in,…Continue Reading “Holloway Children’s Choir- inaugural rehearsals (March 2018)” →

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Tianjin International TV: Hello! Tianjin documentary

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In January 2018, Tianjin International TV made a documentary about my life and work as composer, conductor and teacher in Tianjin. 在中国的朋友们，欢迎你们打开以下的链接观看天津国际频道Hello!天津的纪录片： http://tv.cntv.cn/video/VSET100183082927/35c76b659ddb4ad294aa3d03e454801f?from=timeline&isappinstalled=0 The full documentary: I’ve made a shorter edited version: Unfortunately it’s in Chinese!  Apologies to my non-Chinese-speaking friends, but I encourage you to take a look anyway, as it’s beautifully shot!

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Opera for Children’s Choir: Cao Chong Weighs the Elephant 童声歌剧：曹冲称象 （2017）

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Opera for Children’s Choir: Cao Chong Weighs the Elephant 童声歌剧：曹冲称象 （2017）

You can see the documentary Tianjin International TV made about my rehearsals with the delightful Mulan Children’s Choir on this project here: Tianjin International TV: Hello! Tianjin documentary http://georgehollowaycomposer.com/?p=521 July 2018: Update I’ve got the videos of the three performances up online, you can see them here: For people in China, youku links below: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzcwNDY1OTk4NA==.html…Continue Reading “Opera for Children’s Choir: Cao Chong Weighs the Elephant 童声歌剧：曹冲称象 （2017）” →

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Pied Beauty (2017) children’s choir and string orchestra

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Pied Beauty (2017) children’s choir and string orchestra

This piece was commissioned by French-Chinese composer Qigang Chen, whose Gong Geng college runs a Summer camp for rural children to study music with superb teachers and perform with wonderful players.  The college is situated in the remote Zhejiang countryside–so remote, that one can only access it by boat. I have been lucky and privileged…Continue Reading “Pied Beauty (2017) children’s choir and string orchestra” →

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Meltwater (2009-2011) for choir and orchestra

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Meltwater (2009-2011) for choir and orchestra

    Meltwater (2009-2011) was written jointly for Finchley Chamber Choir and Finchley Chamber Orchestra, as part of the 2009-2010 Adopt a Composer scheme, with the world premiere in 2011. I began the piece during my exchange trip to National Taiwan University, Taipei, and finished it on my return to the UK, variously finishing sections…Continue Reading “Meltwater (2009-2011) for choir and orchestra” →

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Mass of St Michael (2010) SATB, organ and cello

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Mass of St Michael (2010) SATB, organ and cello

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie, eleison. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christe, eleison. Christe, eleison. Christe, eleison. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.   LORY be to God on high. And in earth peace towards men of good will….Continue Reading “Mass of St Michael (2010) SATB, organ and cello” →