Composer Profiles
- Paul Lewis
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Paul Lewis was born into a family of musicians in Brighton in 1943. Instead of going to music college he worked for music publishers and wrote his first TV score at the age of 20, since when he has composed prolifically for this medium. He has scored a huge variety of programmes, overseas sales of which have carried his music all over the world: over 150 series and ‘one-offs’, ranging from high drama with Peter O’Toole and Christopher Lee to the long-running international children’s comedy hit “Woof!” by way of Benny Hill and Monty Python!
His many concert works are tonal, melodic, optimistic and romantic and are often inspired by places (usually France) and people (usually female!) dear to him.
Paul’s principal guitarist interpreters are, in the U.K.: John Mills and Paul Gregory (for whom he has written several works) and Hayley Savage; in France: Erik Marchelie; and in Spain: Agustín Maruri.
In March 2006 Erik Marchelie organized a day of events in Paul’s honour at the Ecole Nationale de Musique de Mantes en Yvelines: “Journée avec le compositeur Paul Lewis”. Paul gave an illustrated talk with questions and answers on composing for television, conducted the first performance of a new work for student ensemble and compèred a concert of his chamber music by the Ecole de Musique prefessuers. Erik and Paul have been friends since 1991 and have dedicated works to one another.
For more information about this composer visit: www.paullewiscomposer.co.uk
Paul Lewis’ guitar compositions are published exclusively by Lathkill Music and these are listed below:Dances for Guitar and String Quartet This was written in honour of John Mills’ 50th birthday and was first performed by him on 14th September 1997 at the Wigmore Hall, London.
Études Amicales for Guitar and Cello The two pieces which make up this composition are À Paris, dedicated to Erik Marchelie and Lucille Fauquet, and Tango Érotique, dedicated to Paul Gregory, and ’cellist Rachel Firmager.
Trois Serenades for Guitar, Violin and Cello This work was completed in France in April 1992 for guitarist John Mills and first performed by him at the Purcell Room in London on May 3rd in that year.
Chamerolles for Guitar and Violin (or Flute) This work was first performed by the dedicatees Susanna Candlin and John Mills at the Medieval Hall, Salisbury, on October 15th 1994.
Trois Preludes for Guitar and Harp Paul Lewis’ newest work involving the guitar, this beautifully crafted composition was written in early 2006 and is dedicated to Anne Mispelter and Erik Marchelie.
- Claudio Decorti
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Claudio Decorti was born in Trieste (Italy) in 1936. He comes from a musical family, his father played piano, mandolin (classical) and horn, his mother was an opera singer and his sister plays piano and organ. His wife, Corinne, used to be a theatre and cabaret singer.
After hearing Segovia on the radio, Claudio was captivated by the sound of the guitar and began studies when he was 14 years old with Bruno Tonazzi, a former student of Segovia. In 1960, Claudio went to London to live for two years to 'practise his English' and visited the Spanish Guitar Centre where Len Williams asked him to play for him. After this 'hearing' Len suggested that Claudio take lessons with a student of his son, John Williams who was himself busy preparing for various concert engagements.
Although never having taken formal compositional theory lessons Claudio Decorti writes passionately 'from the heart'. He says "I have always composed but never wrote anything down until one day in 1997 when I decided to finally commit my pieces to paper." He then took his works to an old friend of his, Mauro Storti (www.seicorde.it/maurostorti), a very good concert artiste who had studied with Segovia and Diaz and had published many didactic methods. Storti eventually revised Decorti's pieces and introduced him to an Italian Publisher (ECO).
Some of Claudio Decorti's compositions have been played in Canada, Italy and England (where Steve Marsh gave the first performance of his work 'TALE' in 2001).
- Shuko Shibata
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The Japanese guitarist Shuko Shibata came to England in 1979 to study at the Royal College of Music. Her performing career was subsequently joined by Emma Martinez in 1985, and as a member of the Shibata-Martinez Duo she performed extensively in England and throughout most of Europe, including prestigious music festivals such as Festival D’Arles, the Euro-Wirral Festival and the Classical Guitar Festival of Great Britain at West Dean. A much-acclaimed CD was released in 1990. Shuko has now resumed her career as a soloist and has recently been invited to perform at events such as the Edinburgh International Guitar Festival and the Cambridge Guitar Project.
Of late she has been busy doing a tremendous amount of volunteer work for Japan's Huntington's Disease Network (JHDN), translating English information which is on the internet into Japanese for the families who suffer with this devastating disease in Japan. At the time of writing she is hoping to get sponsorship to go to Japan in May 2002 to give a charity concert which will coincide with the annual neuroscientist's symposium in Japan.
Shuko Shibata's album of arrangements of twelve Chinese and Japanese traditional songs for solo guitar was the first publication by Lathkill Music Publishers in January 2000 and has since become one of their best sellers. Titled SONGS OF ORIENTAL CHILDREN, Shuko writes:
“Folksongs and children’s songs seem to occupy a peculiar space in one’s heart, where musical sophistication and critical judgement are absent. The key to enter that space seems to be held by the memory of individual experience which surrounds the songs; and the more distant the memory of the first experience the more acutely moving the later encounter becomes.
I have tried to preserve that power in these arrangements, albeit with the full knowledge that they are best played monophonically or sung. I have used some modal ‘clichés’ employed on Oriental instruments, and have harmonised the songs with as little disturbance to the melodies as possible; I hope the results will be interesting for modern players and listeners.
Musical notation might be seen as an inadequate means for representing this kind of music so I have to ask the interpreter to be as open-minded and flexible as possible, not to spend too much time considering the precise length of all written note values but, if pleasing to the ear, to sustain them when possible over the next notes. The fingerings are merely suggestions; so long as the guitar resonates and enough colouring is achieved, almost anything can be done.” Shuko Shibata (2000) - Gary Spolding
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Gary Spolding began his guitar studies in Chesterfield, Derbyshire (U.K.) with Steve Marsh. After completing a music degree at Birmingham University he spent two years at the Royal College of Music, London, studying performance with Carlos Bonell. Gary has appeared on both TV and Radio and in 1998 gave the world premiere of Callanish (LMP200019) written for him by Steve Marsh.
Gary now lives in London and is in demand for his skills in many different areas of music. As well as performing regularly, he has had training in the Kodaly method of teaching music (do, re, mi) and is now involved in teaching more than just individual or group guitar.
“It is really nice to be able to go into a nursery school and to help the regular staff deliver a music curriculum even though they may have no formal specialist music training themselves.”
Gary also enjoys a successful career as a music engraver.
“I mainly do this for the film and TV industry. It’s a nice little sideline because the work isn’t regular so it provides a welcome change. It can be tiring though as every so often music for an advert will come in late in the evening with the recording session booked for the next morning, so the score and parts have to be prepared overnight. It has also given me the chance to play guitar on film soundtracks as well.”
Gary’s book of music in popular styles entitled Ragamuffin (LMP20003) is currently Lathkill’s biggest seller. It is subtitled Rocks, Rags, Blues and Boogies and consists of 14 pieces all written in a swing rhythm written to suit around grades 1 to 5.
“The idea was forced upon me to write these pieces by two students of mine who got extremely into playing blues style pieces written for classical guitar. They became so hooked that even though I’d introduced them to all the published material that I knew, they still wanted more. I decided to have a go at writing in that style (specifically for their level) and ended up writing music and techniques that I had always wanted to play when I was their age. That’s why you find techniques in the book such as bending notes, slides, walking bass lines and a classic rock ‘n’ roll bass line.”
There are also two arrangements by Gary to look out for. El Vito LMP200051, a highly evocative and exciting piece based on a Spanish folk song. This has been arranged for violin and guitar duet (it will also work effectively with flute or oboe). The other is Palladio LMP200028 by Karl Jenkins, an exciting and highly effective arrangement for guitar quartet which is dedicated to The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. The music will be familiar to many people as it was used on a long running TV advertisement for diamonds.
- Mark Houghton
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Described by Classical Guitar as 'an outstanding guitarist/composer', Mark Houghton was born in Liverpool in 1959 and began playing guitar at the age of 7. He was initially tutored by his father (a keen Jazz guitarist who had played on sessions with Bert Weedon). His family showed a general interest in music and stage - his mother performed as a tap dancer in the early 1950's and his brother Graeme became a Jazz drummer and percussionist.
Mark made his stage debut at the age of 12 and became a regular stage performer thorughout the Northwest of England at this time. He performed on a weekly basis for several years at social club functions with cabaret bands and was selected to play for the Lord Mayor of Liverpool in 1972.
Mark became interested in classical guitar during this time, studying his father's vinyl record collection which included a recording by Segovia of Bach, including the famous CHACONNE. Mark learnt to play these recordings by ear.
Several years working in the popular music field, both on stage and as a studio guitarist during the late 1970's, culminated in several vinyl recordings on which he played electric and classical guitars.
In the early 1980's Mark gained experience performing with a jazz quartet (led by American guitarist Richard Smith) which took him further afield to London. These experiments with improvisation first stimulated his interest in composition - influenced by musicians such as John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, George Benson and Chet Atkins. All the time, Mark was studying the standard classical repertoire and had amassed a sizeable library of non-guitar scores, from which he made guitar arrangements.
From 1988 Mark studied classical guitar with Stanley Yates and during this period received private tuition from Stepan Rak on the performance of Rak's music. At this time, Mark was already established as a teacher of classical and jazz guitar at Liverpool Guitar Studio.
In 1989, Mark collaborated with Ornithologist Brian James in an unusual project to transcribe and notate blackbird dialect in Haverfordwest, South Wales. The work was published in 'Natural Wildlife' magazine and featured on an episode of the BBC programme 'Horizon'.
In 1990 Mark completed a prestigious 'Gateway' course for Sound Engineering. This led to experimentation with multitrack recording techniques in the company of many prominent local musicians and Virgin Record Company sound engineers, recording an array of jingles and synchronizing music to film footage using SMPTE code.
From 1996, after becoming a member of the Hoylake Chamber Music Society, Mark combined an intensive study of chamber music repertoire (primarily string ensemble and piano trio) with the production of several hundred arrangements for guitar ensemble. He also produced his first original compositions for guitar and was awarded an Associate Diploma in guitar performance from the London College of Music (for which, after receiving high pass marks, he was chosen to play at the annual Lloyd-Webber Concert - the only guitarist to do so).
Mark entered the publication field in 2000 with his association with Lathkill Music Publishers (see published works below).
In August 2000 Mark won the inaugural Chris Kilvington Memorial Prize - held at Dillington Music Festival and Summer School - for his guitar quartet 'Symphonic Dance No. 1' which was subsequently published by Corda Music Publications and performed at the Dillington Festival.
In November 2001, Mark presented an informal concert (with the help of local musicians) devoted solely to his own compositions and arrangements at Manchester Guitar Circle, kindly organized by Paul Fowles. A similar event is planned for Chester Guitar Circle in the near future.
Mark's latest work to be published is a set of five walzes for solo guitar, written to pay homage to the Spanish guitarist Francisco Tarrega, on the 150th anniversary of his birth which is celebrated in 2002 (Waltz Album, LMP069). This is Mark's first publication for solo guitar.
From March 2002, Mark has offered his support to local guitar societies (at Manchester and Chester) by donating a batch of original compositions to be sold for a small fee. All proceeds then to to Guitar Society funds. In addition he has pledged to write a new solo guitar composition each month and offer this in a similar fashion.
Despite his many successes as a performer and composer, Mark remains an amateur musician, working full-time at Liverpool University.
ORIGINAL WORKS FEATURING GUITAR:
BARCAROLE - flute and guitar (1996)
THREE PIECES - solo guitar (1996)
TWO PETIT PIECES - recording and guitar (1996)
BLUE DECOR - flute and guitar (1996)
DAWN SONG - recorder and guitar (1996)
TRIO IN THE OLD STYLE - three guitars (1996)
*ARABESQUE - two guitars (1996)
SONATA IN G - flute and guitar (1997)
SOUTH AMERICAN SUITE - solo guitar (1998)
TWO MELODIES FOR GUITAR - solo guitar (1998)
FIRST JOURNEY (FOUR EASY PIECES) - three guitars (1998)
IMITATION STUDIES 1 - three guitars (1998)
FUGUE - solo guitar (1998)
OLD ENGLISH SUITE - four guitars (1998)
*CAVATINA op.17 - two guitars (1998)
*SONATINA op.18 - three guitars (1998)
*DANCE IN D op.19 - two guitars (1998)
*CALM SEAS op. 21 - three guitars (1999)
IMITATION STUDIES 2 - three guitars (1999)
*HABANERA op.23 - three guitars (1999)
*TANGOESQUE (TWO TANGOS) - two guitars (1999)
SIX GREETING CARDS op.25 - solo guitar (1999)
*SONATA ANDALUZ op.30 - three guitars(2000)
*ONE LATIN EVENING op.32 - four guitars (2000)
**SYMPHONIC DANCE NO. 1 op.31 - four guitars (2000)
TEN LITTLE PIECES - solo guitar (2001)
THREE NOCTURNES op.29 - solo guitar (2001)
CARNIVAL SUITE - three guitars (2001)
TRIO CONCERTANTE - flute/clarinet/guitar (2001)
BARCAROLE AND GIGA - treble recorder/guitar (2001)
CELEBRATION - SAMBA - solo guitar (2001)
EIGHT DIMINUMENTI (AFTER FERNANDO SOR) - solo guitar (2001)
MATT'S LULLABY AND JOES' MARCH - two guitars (2001)
EIGHT MISCELLANEOUS PIECES (AFTER AGUADO) - solo guitar (2002)
A SONG FOR EUROPE op.35 - five guitars (2002)
JAZZ SUITE op.28 - solo guitar (2002)
*WALTZ ALBUM - 'HOMAGE TO FRANCISCO TARREGA' - solo guitar (2002)
INVENTION - solo guitar (2002)
FUGHETTA - solo guitar (2002)
TANGO DE LOS BARRIOS - solo guitar (2002)
MORNING DEW - solo guitar (2002)
PAVAN - solo guitar (2002)
To this list can be added nearly 400 arrangements for various combinations of guitars.
*Published by Lathkill Music Publishers
- Cat. No. LMP014 Three Dialogues (Sonatina, Habanera and Calm Seas) - three guitars.
- Cat. No. LMP015 A Varietie of Dances (Tangoesque, Cavatina, Dance in D and Arabesque) - two guitars
- Cat. No. LMP021 Baroque Album vol. 1 (four pieces by Bach/Handel/Telemann and Vivaldi) - two guitars
- Cat. No. LMP022 Baroque Album vol. 2 (four pieces by Bach) - two guitars
- Cat. No. LMP023 Sonata Andaluz op. 30 - three guitars
- Cat. No. LMP038 One Latin Evening op.32 - four guitars
- Cat. No. LMP069 Waltz Album, Homage to Francisco Tarrega op.26 - solo guitar