Top New Zealand composer specially commissioned for ISCMS

Chris Artley

Chris Artley, one of New Zealand's leading composers, will participate in the "Spirit of Peace" Gala Concert in Shanghai, which will be held on February 23 as part of the ISCMS XII Festival. He isspecially commissioned to writea piece named O My Children, My Poor Children! for choir and big band.

This work is a setting of part of Henry Longfellow's epic poem, Song of Hiawatha. Written in 1855, this poem relates the fictional adventures of Native American characters facing the universal dangers of wars and fighting and contains a heart-felt plea for peace.

Artley has a classical piano background, but also enjoys playing jazz and is a baritone singer in the Graduate Choir of New Zealand, which has commissioned and premiered several of his compositions including Ave MariaandThe Ashwell Carol. Writing forThe Bury Times, Ken Bayliss describesThe Ashwell Carolas follows: "It is written in an eminently approachable idiomwith an appealing and catchy melody."

Before becoming a full-time composer and performer, Artley taught music for many years. He completed a music degree in the 1980s and always had in interest in musical composition but he didn't become fully engaged in that pursuit until he took a year off from teaching. After leaving his teaching job in 2009, Artley began writing his own music.

Artley's works have received attention globally from performers such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, Graduate Choir of New Zealand, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Amadeus Choir of Toronto, Lutheran Youth Choir of North America, Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo, National University of Singapore Choir and Age of Discovery, Auckland.

He has won more than 10 awards for his compositions since 2011. In an interview published on King's College website in January 2016, he discussed winning first prize in the 2015 Cincinnati Camerata Composition Contest. "Finding an inspiring text is always an important starting for me," he said. "I have written a number of choral pieces in Latin and was immediately taken with the text inQui Creavit Caelum. The natural rhythm and flow of the words, together with their medieval origins, suggested a lilting modal melody."He continued: "I experimented with different harmonizations of the melody so that each verse would have its own character. I was also keen to explore different textures, ranging from traditional homophonic, polyphonic, call and response, through to more contemporary effects, such as the layered voice effects in verse 3."

In July 2017, Artley won first prize in the 2017 Freudig Singers Composition Contest and a choir performed and recorded his winning piece. "As a composer you're always looking for someone to perform your work so it's a really nice endorsement," he told New Zealand's Stuff news site in a July 2017 interview."I enter competitions because nothing ventured is nothing gained," he said. "Although I've won a lot of

competitions, I've also entered a lot."

Be sure to catch Chris Artley at this week's ISCMS XII Festival in Shanghai!Event ReminderAll tickets are SOLD OUT now. If you have successfully purchased your ticket(s):1）Pao School Families: Please collect your ticket(s) during Feb. 18 - 22 at your stated campus;2）Families from participating schools: If you are traveling with the participating school teams, please contact your schools for tickets;
3）All others: Please pick up your tickets after 6pm on Feb. 23 prior to the performance at Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall. ISCMS XII Gala Concert Date: Feb. 23, 2019
Time: 7:00 pm
Address: Shanghai Symphonoy Orchestra Concert Hall, No. 1380 Middle Fuxing Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai
The concert hall is located at the centre of Shanghai city with limited parking area. It is recommended to use public transport.Any questions, please contact paolife@ykpaoschool.cn

 

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