Lagerphones, zobsticks, bushwackers

Composer and Accordionist extraordinaire Michael Ward-Bergeman introduced me the multi-named instrument that has a remarkable propensity for cropping up in cultures across the globe, from Australia to Austria. It's built from beer bottle tops nailed or screwed in to a pole. Here's Michael playing one he built himself - I'm currently collecting tops for my own attempt - stay tuned!

I bought a duduk

The joys of ebay - my newly ordered duduk has arrived. It's beautiful-looking and has a very distinctive smell (it's made from apricot wood).





The reed seems enourmous in comparison to a clarinet reed - very long and very fat. It came with two of them - the first one seemed to go a bit wide after I ran the tap over it (as instructed in the helpful e-manual that came with it).

First impressions are that it's a bit of a bugger to play, much harder than a clarinet, more like an oboe. But I love the untempered tuning - I'll try to put an excerpt up here once I've practiced a bit!

The duduk (pronounced [duˈduk]) is a traditional woodwind instrument popular in the Caucasus region. It is of Armenian origins. More from the wikipedia article on duduks

Carnegie Hall Commission

A new commission has come through to write a piece for voice and ensemble which will be premiered at Carnegie Hall next April. Part of the process involves some workshops with composer Osvaldo Golijov and soprano Dawn Upshaw, and I'm very much looking forward to flying out to New York in November to meet them.

Opera speed dating

Last week I attended an 'opera speed dating' event, organised by Tete a Tete, who are setting up a new Opera Festival. People from all walks of opera life were there, and it was a lot of fun. I was also given about 4 minutes - yes FOUR - to compose 30 seconds of an opera scene, and that included working with a librettist to make the words! At the end of the evening 5 or 6 such scenes were run together, with a connecting piano motive, and the result was a remarkably consistent and decent-sounding new opera!

One of the things the event brought home to me was how, with the closure of ENO Studios and BAC Opera moving on, there were really quite limited possibilities when it came to putting on new opera. Full marks to Tete-a-Tete for doing their best to turn things around.

Update: I just found out the event was covered by The Spectator magazine, you can read it here

Opera magazine reviews push!

There's a very nice review of Push! in this month's Opera magazine:

"The accompaniament mixed echoes of Britten, Looney Tunes and Janacek with an individual elan, and was consistently vivid and colourful. Bruce's writing for voice was also good...but - and this is what marks him out as a real operatic talent to watch - his management and musical texturing of stage ensemsble was exemplary, and he knew exactly when to let the music carry the emotional burden.'

An article on Stravinsky's The Fairy's Kiss

Over the years I have written quite a few articles, which rather than see languish in my attic, I thought would make a nice addition to this site. I will try to add them over the coming weeks. The first is an article in support of the much-maligned Fairy's Kiss by Stravinsky which I wrote for The Musical Times a few years ago.

An article on Stravinsky's The Fairy's Kiss

Over the years I have written quite a few articles, which rather than see languish in my attic, I thought would make a nice addition to this site. I will try to add them over the coming weeks. The first is an article in support of the much-maligned Fairy's Kiss by Stravinsky which I wrote for The Musical Times a few years ago.

Push! premiere

This June and July, my first full-length opera, Push! is being put on by Tete-a-Tete in London and on tour in the UK. More info here. Do come to the show if you can, it's been very well received so far, as these reviews show.

Tete a Tete's production of PUSH! Clockwise from top left: Mary's babies; Cara; Ram, Nimmy & Sal; Caretaker and Cleaner. Photos by Suzanne Jansen