Adam

MIDIs please? I don't have Sibelius.

I voted no, because I think it's a silly way to look at it. How are you breaking it down? Time? Effort? Is it inspiration when you're enjoying it and perspiration when you're not? Composing sometimes involves hard work, sometimes grinding out a few measures a day, and sometimes it just 'comes to you' complete, and all you have to do it write it down. And inspiration is essential if you are not to churn out bland repetitive work, so it's clearly more than 1/100th of the process. I guess I could rephrase it thus: Composition is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, but only if that 1% is REALLY DAMNED GOOD! ;) Adam.

Thanks for letting us hear that! Reminds me of some of my very early work too - a new idea almost every two bars, and little linking between them, and as for development... Still, as they'll be saying when they do your retrospective on Radio 3, 'this as yet immature work clearly signposts the nascent talent extant in the young chopin' ;)

Just a little bump to ask if you'd done any more on this, I'd really like to hear it. :)

You have some serious long held dissonances in your opening - C# D F# G G# - with that amount of close tonality held for so long you'd better be sure your 150 players can tune their instruments really damn well, and play the notes absolutely spot on for the whole held note, otherwise I fear that 150 players all playing ever so slightly out of tune and/or wavering ever so slightly on the tuning when bowing might turn that chord into a horrible muddy mess. Which might be of course the effect you are looking for. Although I am not a string expert by any means, and one will probably be along shortly to tell you if my fears are founded. Other than that - more! There's almost nothing there so far, how's it going to develop?

Derek, I've now listened to most of the pieces you've linked to, and I'm afraid I'd have to say they are without exception dull, repetitive and simplistic; take out the drumbeats and there's little music left to them. Now I'm not saying that *I* can write 'better' music than that, but in terms of your 'challenge' you should go and listen to some of the compositions that have been posted here and see if you still think that your choices are superior music - there is some very fine stuff being written by members of this forum. From a personal choice perspective I'd point you at: The (partial) piece in post #20 here: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/index....wtopic=50&st=10 This mp3 rendition: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/Caltec...estra-t822.html This beautiful baroque symphony: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/index....owtopic=536&hl= And take a listen at Matusleo's music as well for something a bit more modern, and many others too, and see if you still think that thud-thud-thud-tweedle-tweedle-ting-ting beats all that. You may of course, everyone has their own taste, but I think you'd find yourself in a minority of music-lovers.

For anything more complex than a simple sub 5 minute piano piece (which can sometimes come complete from start to finish in one inspirational session of a few hours - although some I have worked on for a couple of months), I will typically take about 6-24 months to write a 10 minute movement for ensemble or orchestra. I know that sounds like a long time, but I have very little time for the actual writing it down, most of the 'composing' is done in spare 10 minute sections in my head waiting for a train, although I often have to wait a long time for the inspiration to hit. And even when it does, when I finally get round to putting it on paper, I often discard it; I probably reject about 90% of the ideas I come up with (ideas based on a current idea, rather than whole new ideas, if you see what I mean). So I write very slowly indeed. In about 20 years of composing I have 'written' about 30 short piano works, two string quartets, one 'symphony', 3 or so small ensemble works, a few duets for varied instruments, and about 5 smaller orchestral works. Although several of these still exist only in part at least in my head (some for over 10 years...), as I find the time and energy to commit them to paper.

I will certainly take part, will email you my address for the questions.

Really? The Requiem Mass doesn't do it for them?

Silhouette: I like it on the whole, although my least favourite bits are the arpeggio runs at the beginning (repeated later on) - they don't really seem to fit the quality of the rest of the piece; they feel a bit like warm-up exercises. I get some rhythms and melodies coming through too in places that remind me of Greek music - is that deliberate? (for example around 1:12 and 2:05 or so?). Just wondering (I'm a big fan of the style so I like it anyway!) Cheers, Adam.

The riders - very atmospheric! I think it would work very well on stage; with the troops readying themselves all over the stage, lots of different but directed actions taking place, sort of chaotic, mounting tension (as reflected in the music) but driving towards a common end. I can just see all the final preparations being completed and the men lining up just in time for the commander to come striding on on the final chord - bam!

OK, this one seems to work OK to me, hope it does for you too. Any comments at all very much appreciated! Adam. string_q_3_e5.mid

I've just downloaded and listened to this with windows media player (I usually work on macs) and it's unlistenable to. For some reason only the 1st viola has any volume. B******. I imagine that's making it difficult for a lot of people to listen to, sorry; I will try to make a better version (will remove this one for now). Adam.