Simon Holt

Simon Holt's 3rd Quartet is the third of six pieces which make up a cycle with the overall title 'Terrain'. Lasting around 23 minutes this wonderful work is arranged for String Quartet and wasco-commissioned by The Radcliffe Trust NMC Recordings Internationales Musikfestival Heidelberger Fruhling and Wigmore Hall. The premiere was performed on 19th January 2015. This is the set of parts for 2 Violins Viola andCello. The six different compositions of which 3rd Quartet is the third are for different combinations of stringed instruments featuring Piano in the second piece. The music thatcomprises 3rd Quartet is drawn from the other parts of the cycle as a whole yet in a reverse order. In this way the piece develops what has come before foreshadows what's to come all the while encompassingthe entire cycle in a single piece.

The solo percussion part orchestral score available separately.Note for Performance.In table top the unpitched solo percussion part in the 9th movement the scoringwas initially left open. The present score showsa suggested instrumentation whichwas devised by Colin Currie in conjunction with the composer. Soloists shouldattempt to match the timbres used but should not feel constrained by the exactchoice of instruments.

Commissioned by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for the opening of Hoddinott Hall. First performance on 22nd January 2009 at Hoddinott Hall Cardiff by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Thierry Fischer.

This is a study score of Simon Holt's Sparrow Night for Solo Oboe and Chamber Ensemble. Commissioned by the Nash Ensemble this work lasts for around 17 minutes. The title ofSparrow Night comes from a Chekhov story cited by Raymond Carver in his final book of poetry 'A new path to the waterfall' in which terrible nights featuring thunder rain and wind are called by some people'sparrow nights.'

This work was commissioned by the Nash Ensemble with funds provided by Wigmore Hall and PRS for Music Foundation. It was first performed by the Nash Ensemble at Wigmore Hall London on 23rd March 2011.

Simon Holt's 3rd Quartet is the third of six pieces which make up a cycle with the overall title 'Terrain'. Lasting around 23 minutes this wonderful work is arranged for String Quartet and wasco-commissioned by The Radcliffe Trust NMC Recordings Internationales Musikfestival Heidelberger Fruhling and Wigmore Hall. The premiere was performed on 19th January 2015. The six different compositions ofwhich 3rd Quartet is the third are for different combinations of stringed instruments featuring Piano in the second piece. The music that comprises 3rd Quartet is drawn from theother parts of the cycle as a whole yet in a reverse order. In this way the piece develops what has come before foreshadows what's to come all the while encompassing the entire cycle in a single piece.

Simon Holt's the man in the wind and the west moon was composed for Solo Harp in 2013 having been commissioned by The Tanza Trust. The piece takes its title from a line in a DylanThomas poem named 'And death shall have no dominion'. The four sections of the work see shifting harmonies throughout with the first section repeating but also changing ever so subtly. The unique thing about the piece is thateach section is dynamically different but is left open to interpretation by the player.  The man in the wind and the west moon was first performed on the2nd of June 2014 at Milton Court Concert Hall in London by Alex Rider. The piece lasts around 7 minutes and the bottom C and D strings should be tuned to C# and D# respectively.

Commissioned jointly for Colin Currie by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust. First performance on 14th May 2008 at Symphony Hall Birmingham by Colin Currie (percussion) and the City ofBirmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins.NOTE FOR PERFORMANCEIn table top the unpitched solo percussion part in the 9th movement the scoring was initially left open. The present full score showsa suggested instrumentation  which was devised by Colin Currie in conjunction with the composer. Soloists  should attempt to match the timbres used but should not feel constrained by the  exact choice ofinstruments.COMPOSER’S NOTEThe percussion instruments used in a table of noises in some ways represent the odd things that were on my great uncle Ash’s parlour table that fascinated me as a child. There is even abottle; there was always a milk bottle with the silver top pushed in surrounded by other essentials for his life. From birth he was quite severely handicapped in one of his legs and couldn’t walk too far without his trusty crutch.He kept everything he needed within arm’s length. In the list of instruments for the solo part there’s everything from deep log drum sounds to very high metallic chime sounds. Wood glass metal and a whistle. Mostlysmall-scale things with a large gong behind used sparingly. I think that we managed to keep below 30 instruments in all which I was keen to do. I didn’t want scores of things that are only played once they have to earn theirkeep. I didn’t want to use a marimba but thought that trying to make the xylophone sound in a more expressive way would be more of a challenge. The percussionist sits for much of the time on a Cajon a flamenco instrument which isessentially a wooden box. The player hits the front of the box in various ways rather as you play a conga. There are guitar strings inside and bells to add to the overall colour. I would like to thank Colin Currie for the

Simon Holt’s chamber opera Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? is a highly creative work with the most intriguing score. An emotive and haunting composition this work is guaranteed to move the audience. This is the Libretto.

Escaramuza (the Spanish word for ‘skirmish’) is an 8 minute single movement for Clarinet and Piano and is dedicated to the wildly talented Mark Simpson.It takes the form of a volatile cinematicfragment that begins in an almost oppressive static way but quickly lurches into a more restless impulsive state.