British Composer Awards 2013 shortlist announced

Gabriel Jackson, Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Rebecca Saunders among nominees

Published: October 23, 2013 at 9:47 am

The shortlist for the annual British Composer Award has been announced and includes 39 works by 38 different composers.

Gabriel Jackson is the only composer to have been nominated twice – in both the Choral and Liturgical categories. Jackson won the Choral category in both 2009 and 2012.

Two of the shortlisted composers were nominated posthumously – Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, who has never been nominated for the awards before, and Jonathan Harvey.

Radio 3’s New Generation Jazz Artist, saxophonist Trish Clowes, has been shortlisted for the Contemporary Jazz Award.

Three of the shortlisted works were written as part of the Cultural Olympiad: Stephen McNeff’s The Chalk Legend, James Redwood’s Pass the Torch, An Olympic Symphony and Olive Searle’s Technophobia.

The British Composer Awards were created by the British Academy of Songwriters and Authors (BASCA) and are sponsored by PRS for Music and presented in association with Radio 3.

‘The nominees for this year’s British Composer Awards truly showcase the magnificent contemporary classical and jazz talent we have in the UK,’ said Guy Fletcher, chair of PRS for Music.

This year the awards received over 300 entries and the shortlists (see below) were each drawn up by a different jury of people from the music profession, including composers, performers, conductors and festival directors.

The Awards will be announced in a ceremony on 3 December at Goldsmiths’ Hall, London and Radio 3 will be broadcast coverage of the ceremony on Saturday 7 December.

2013 British Composer Awards Shortlist

Instrumental Solo or Duo Cirrus Light by Jonathan Harvey Darkness Visible by George Nicholson Gigue Machine by Harrison Birtwistle

Chamber Chopin’s Waterloo by Benjamin Wallfisch Fletch by Rebecca Saunders String Quartet No. 4 by Colin Matthews

Vocal A Pretence of Wit by Edward Nesbit Electra Mourns by Brian Elias Flesh and Blood by David Sawer

Choral Choral Symphony by Gabriel Jackson Colloquy with God by Richard Rodney Bennett Since it was the Day of Preparation... by James MacMillan

Wind Band or Brass Band Diversions after Benjamin Britten: Four Centenary Tributes for Brass Band by Simon Dobson, Gavin Higgins, Paul McGhee, Lucy Pankhurst Mysteries of the Horizon by Nigel Clarke 
Symphony in two movements by Edward Gregson

Orchestral Rivers to the Sea by Joseph Phibbs Tenebrae by John Pickard The London Citizen Exceedingly Injured by Raymond Yiu

Stage Works Imago by Orlando Gough The Firework-Maker’s Daughter by David Bruce Written on Skin by George Benjamin

Liturgical

Cantate Domino by Gabriel Jackson I saw the Lord by Matthew Martin O Oriens by Cecilia McDowall

Sonic Art 5 Minute Oscillations of the Sun by Caroline Devine Dart for Solo Cello, Delays and Digital playback by Tom Williams No Such Object (Speed of Light) by Ed Baxter and Chris Weaver

Contemporary Jazz Composition Iris Nonet by Trish Clowes Lifelines by John Surman Songs to the North Sky by Tim Garland

Community or Educational Project Elemental Songs and Dances by Richard Bullen Pass the Torch, An Olympic Symphony by James Redwood Technophonia by Oliver Searle

Making Music Award Dry Stone Walls of Yorkshire by Peter McGarr Screech by Kerry Andrew The Chalk Legend by Stephen McNeff

International Award Symphony No. 8 by Per Nørgård The Importance of Being Earnest by Gerald Barry Woven Dreams by Toshio Hosokawa

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