Phillip Cooke

I have recently completed or revised several pieces which I have finally found the time to put on the website. The most substantial is my setting of the Jubilate for St Peter’s College, Oxford which treads the same ground of my setting of the Te Deum last year. I have also completed a setting of the Missa Brevis which is an elaborated and revised version of the Lady Margaret Mass I wrote earlier this year. I have made some revisions to my setting of O salutaris hostia (2008) and also arranged the first movement of Four Pieces (2006, rev. 2009) for trumpet and organ, now titled Introit. All are available to download and perform.

This week should prove to be an exciting week, beginning with the première of Lakesongs in Ambleside on Tuesday as part of the Lake District Summer Music Fesitval 2011 (with my no doubt enlightening talk beforehand). The Warehouse ensemble will première Nocturne as part of the Tête-a-Tête Opera Festival on Thursday (followed by a second performance on Friday) in the ‘Six Word Opera’ performances. On Friday I’m going to the first rehearsal of Dreams of Longing followed by taking in a performance of London Road (sadly not written by me) at the National Theatre. I also finished my ‘dramatic cantata’ The Two Trees for performance in October and heard that the choir of Selwyn College Cambridge will première my Evening Service in Cambridge in October. Hopefully Everton will win on Saturday to round it off nicely.

I have recently completed a song-cycle, Lakesongs for mezzo-soprano, viola and piano which will be premièred at this year’s Lake District Summer Music Festival. The work sets Campbell, Yeats and Sitwell and will be performed by Clare McCaldin, Yuko Inoue and Tadashi Imai. Lakesongs will be performed on Tuesday 09 August in Ambleside. For more details and to book tickets click here. I have also begun work on a new quasi-operatic work, The Two Trees for soprano, mezzo-soprano and small ensemble which has been commissioned for the opening of a new lecture theatre/concert hall at The Queen’s College, Oxford University. The work sets the poem of the same name by Yeats (a current pre-occupation) and will be performed twice in October. More details to follow.

I have recently been commissioned to write three new works for 2011, all with a vocal element to them. A new work has been commissioned by The Queen’s College, Oxford to celebrate the opening of their new lecture theatre/concert space. Although in it’s nascent stage this piece will hopefully be scored for 2 sopranos and ensemble and will be performed in a gala event in July. The LDSM (generously supported by the Granada Foundation) have commissioned a set of companion pieces to the Brahms Two Songs, Op. 91 for alto, viola and piano. This new work will be a setting of Lake District poetry (of some description) and will be performed during the festival in August, performers to be confirmed. The final commission is for the Chester Music Society Junior Choir and will be Christmas themed for their festive concert. It is the second time I have been commissioned by the choir, following on from the successful première of Jabberwocky in July 2010.

2010 has again been a successful year for me with many commissions and performances throughout the UK. My three year Junior Research Fellowship at The Queen’s College in Oxford finished in September – it has been a hugely useful and inspirational fellowship, working closely with the college choir, which culminated with the performance of Invocation in June. Choral music has again been to the fore with new pieces for various choirs and festivals including the Lake District Summer Music Festival (LDSM), the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music, the Temple Church Choir and various Oxford college choirs. 2011 will hopefully be an equally exciting year with pieces being performed in St Paul’s and Liverpool Cathedrals and various new commissions including a new song cycle for LDSM. The Howells book should hopefully see the light of day as should the LCMG recording and there should be further LCMG performances later in the year – also I begin a new tutoring appointment at Eton College which should keep me busy!

I have recently put the finishing touches to two new works: Dreams of Longing, a songbook for baritone and piano and a Te Deum for female choir (SSAA) and organ. Dreams of Longing was commissioned by the poet Bob Fowler (whose poems it sets) and is a substantial work of around 22′ which will receive it’s première in late 2011 . The Te Deum was commissioned by the choir Aurora Nova and will be premièred by them at St Paul’s Cathedral, London in Matins on Sunday 02 January 2011.

I am currently setting some poems by the Lake District based poet, Bob Fowler for a song cycle for Baritone and Piano entitled Dreams of Longing. In this video below, Bob reads some of his poems from the collection Private Verses including ‘Longing’ and ‘When the Rowans Sing in September’ which will be part of the cycle. It is immensely useful being able to hear the poet read his or her own poems, giving the stresses and emphasis where intended, and bringing extra emotion to the text. Dreams of Longing will hopefully be finished next month, with a private performance early next year.

The Chester Music Service Youth Choir will give the premiere of Jabberwocky at the All Saints Church, Chester this Saturday (10/07) at 19.30.

Phillip has been commissioned to write a Te Deum for the choir Aurora Nova to be performed in St Paul’s Cathedral. The performance will take place in early 2011.