SKU: FT.FM611

ISBN 9790570485109.

'Ragmala' (meaning 'A garland of ragas) concerns the passing of a day, and is written in Indian ragas. Indian classical music is largely improvised according to the strict rules of melody (raga) and rhythm patterns (tala). The Indian scale is Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa. A little like tonic sol-fa on that Sa can be pitched on any note the main performer chooses. However, whereas any note in Western classical music can be natural, sharp or flat, in Indian music Sa and Pa are only allowed to be natural, Ri, Ga, Dha and Ni can be flattened but never sharpened, whilst Ma can be sharpened, but never flattened. A raga (of which there are hundreds all with different names), is a cross between a scale and a melody, based on combinations of notes, and only the fixed notes of the raga can be used. Some ragas have a different order of notes when ascending or descending. Each raga is supposed to express the mood of a particular time of day, or season. There is a different concept of harmony in Indian music, as chord based harmony does not exist. Groups of classical musicians in India tend to be smaller, with most players playing different versions of the main melody. The harmony is formed by the rising and falling melody against a drone-like bass. in 'Ragmala' I have followed the rules of the ragas, but in a manner foreign to most Indian classical musicians, as I have allowed harmonies to form between the ten individual lines.

SKU: ST.C422

ISBN 9790570814220.

A delightful single movement work lasting about 4 minutes. Dedicated to the clarinettist Erich Fackert.

[bg_collapse view=link color=#4a4949 icon=arrow expand_text=Show More collapse_text=Show Less ]Laurie Holloway has enjoyed an extraordinary successful life as a composer, musician and musical director. His music has always been strongly jazz orientated, and he has played with many of the legendary greats including Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer. He composed the television themes for: Russell Harty, Pam Ayres, Freddie Starr, Russ Abbott, Punchlines, Game for a Laugh, Blind Date, Child’s Play and Beadle’s About Music Match.

Laurie has appeared on television regularly including This is your Life (as a surprise guest for Parkinson, Wogan, Tarbuck, Ernie Wise, Rolf Harris, and Benny Green as well as being a proud owner of the Big Red Book himself). He has been musical director for Engelbert Humperdinck, Judy Garland, Dame Edna Everage, Stéphane Grappelli, The Wogan Show, Marion Montgomery, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Dame Cleo Laine, Elaine Stritch, Sacha Distel, Frankie Howerd, Sammy Cahn, George Hamilton IV, Barry Took, Sir David Frost, Mel Torme, Nana Mouskouri, Clive James, Val Doonican, Kiri Te Kanawa, Ronnie Corbett, Ronnie Barker, Sir Les Patterson, Elaine Paige, Michael Parkinson, Jack Allen, Bob Monkhouse, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Jack Jones.

He has been a featured soloist with, and guest conductor of, the LSO and the BBC Concert Orchestra, played on the Last Night of the Proms in Hyde Park, often conducted the BBC radio orchestra, performed on BBC radio 2’s At the Piano, and is currently arranging and conducting for various artists such as Elaine Paige, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and Gilbert O’Sullivan. He was the musical director of the hit BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing for many years.

His teaching work includes workshops and masterclasses at Canberra School of Music and Melbourne’s Victoria Arts Centre, Australia, the Birmingham Conservatoire, and Wavendon Allmusic Plan. He has composed and arranged several saxophone quartets, clarinet quartets, instrumental works for flute and piano and clarinet and piano, and his two volumes of Pop Preludes (piano tutors) are published by Novello. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music selected his composition Walking Fingers as an examination piece.

He has presented matinee concerts at the Barbican where he introduced young musical talent. He and Marion Montgomery have formed the Montgomery Holloway Music Trust a charity, which aims to afford young musical talent (jazz, classical and inspirational) the opportunity to study and perform. The Trust also has a yearly seminar in which Laurie instructs in the Art of Accompaniment. The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) awarded Laurie the Gold Badge of Merit in 1993 for his services to the music industry.[/bg_collapse]
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP870.

SKU: HL.233155

9.0x12.0x0.076 inches. English.

Virtually all my recent music has been composed of four, five or six simultaneous tempo layers. If those ensemble and orchestral pieces are multi-dimensional sculptures, then Among Red Mountains is more like a drawing. In this piece, the challenge I set for myself was to suggest five independent tempo planes, within the limitations of two hands and what Vicki Ray calls 'the Big Black Box'. For three decades I've admired the Piano music of Peter Garland. At last I have a piece that I hope is worthy of this dedication. The title, Among Red Mountains, is the translation of the Gwitch'in Athabascan name for a place in the Brooks Range, north of Arctic Village.'- John Luther Adams.