Contemporary Classics October 10, 2017 Birmingham New Music Festival and Ed Windels Interview

This episode features an interview with composer Ed Windels as part of the monthly Composer Conversations series – which can be heard by clicking below.  In addition 4 more works from composers who will be at this year’s Birmingham New Music Festival includingJoel Scott Davis, Monroe Golden and Matthew Scott Phillips. 

The first work on this evenings Contemporary Classicsis  Songs About God is a fivemovements based upon the early poetry of the Southern Agrarian Poet John CroweRansom   It was written by JoelScott Davis expressly for G. William Bugg, voice and Kathryn Fouse,piano who premiered the work at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in October 2008.The original duo joined forces again in September 2016 for this performance ofthe revised version at the Third Annual Birmingham New Music Festival.

You have been listening to Joel Scott Davis’ Songs AboutGod from a live performance by G. William Bugg, voice and Kathryn Fouse, pianofrom the 2016 Birmingham New Music Festival

MonroeGolden Vestiges for vibraphone and fixed media with Seth Noble, vibraphone

Vestiges wascomposed for Iron Giant Percussion in 2012, and this solo version arranged forSeth Noble in 2015. The work is scored for metals and metallic models, withalternating sections loosely based on ferric folksongs and a jazz standard.

You have been listening to a performance of Monroe GoldenVestiges for vibraphone and fixed media with Seth Noble, vibraphone

To end this hour we have Joel Scott Davis’s stringquartet.  This work was commissionedby Drs. Wilton and Vicki Bunch, who also established a generous endowment forthe formation of the Samford String Quartet.  The quartet was composed for the members of the SamfordString Quartet, Jeffrey & Angela Flaniken and Samuel & CarolineNordlund

You havebeen listening to a performance of Joel Scott Davis’s stringquartet in a performance by the Samford Quartet, Jeffrey & Angela Flanikenand Samuel & Caroline Nordlund

We beginthis second hour of Contemporary Classics with Matthew Scott Phillips work TheSocratic Problem is a work for viola and piano which is a reflection on theverisimilitude of Socrates’s existence. It is a struggle with the question ofwhether so influential a figure can truly be imaginary and ultimately anarrival at the decision that his realness is not as important as hisinfluence.  This performance iswith Michael Fernandez, viola and Adam Alan Bowles, Piano

You havebeen listening to Matthew Scott Phillips’ The Socratic Problem in a performanceby Michael Fernandez, viola and Adam Alan Bowles, Piano

For the rest of this hour we have Composer Conversations with Ed Windels which can be heard by clicking below.