Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble : Closer

The delicate work that won first prize at the 2nd Peter Rosser Composition Award lends its name to the title of this event, an event that brings the ensemble “closer” still to one of its raisons d’être, that of supporting local composers.

Generous funding from the PRSf Talent Development Partnership allowed us to commission solo instrumental works from three of our younger generation of composers. The recipients of these, Nigel McBride, for the solo alto flute work enigmatically titled, there is no, just the image of, Samuel Quartermain Smith for his Miniatures for Bass Clarinet and HRSE’s own Dave McCann’s Three Caprices, offer contrasted and original approaches to writing solo music.

In addition, we revisit not just Tim Doyle’s first prize work, but all three finalist works from the composition award in case you missed them first time around. The worthy recipients of the prizes, Timothy Doyle, Matthew Rowan andDaniel Barkley, offer us a range of ways to get to grips compositionally with the “Pierrot” line-up.

We welcome the Glasgow based, Co Armagh composer Gareth Williams back to Belfast for a performance of his How, three humourous movements offering helpful and essential instruction on how to sleep, say sorry and dance! Ian Wilson contributes a wonderful little trio, AT, for flute violin and cello to complete the programme.

Programme:

Closer (1st Prize 2nd Peter Rosser Composition Award 2017)

Timothy Doyle (1991)

flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello & piano

there is no, just the image of* (2017) World Premiere

Nigel McBride (1990)

solo alto flute  

How (2011) World Premiere

Gareth Williams (1977)

flute, clarinet, violin & violoncello

The Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble is a contemporary music group from Belfast devoted to the performance of modern and contemporary music and are The Crescent's Ensemble In Residence. To discover more about HRSE visit www.hardrainensemble.com.