| Revision as of 13:42, 1 January 2025 editSfjohna (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users32,780 edits ←Created page with '{{Short description|Australian-born South African classical pianist}} '''Christopher Wright''' (30 April 1954 – 4 December 2024) was a British music teacher and composer. He was born in Ipswich and began composing while still a teenager: his ''Kyson Point Suite'' for flute, oboe, violin and cello was performed at Ipswich Town Hall in 1971.<ref></ref> He w...' | Latest revision as of 10:12, 2 January 2025 edit undoMartinevans123 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers234,921 edits →Life and career: add county (UK?) | ||
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| {{Short description| |
{{Short description|British music teacher and composer (1954–2024)}} | ||
| '''Christopher Wright''' (30 April 1954 – 4 December 2024) was a British music teacher and composer. | |||
| '''Christopher Wright''' (30 April 1954 – 4 December 2024) was a British music teacher and composer. He described the style of his own music as "largely tonal with atonal flavourings".<ref name=comp></ref> Others have noted an English pastoral sensibility and the influence of ].<ref name=gram></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ==Life and career== | |||
| ⚫ | Initially Wright worked as a music teacher and a peripatetic brass teacher at various state and independent establishments and |
||
| ⚫ | Wright was born in ], ]<ref name=obit/> and began composing while still a teenager: his ''Kyson Point Suite'' for flute, oboe, violin and cello was performed at Ipswich Town Hall in 1971.<ref></ref> He went on to study composition at the ] with ] and ]. While in Colchester he also first made friends with fellow student and East Anglian composer Nicholas Barton.<ref>, notes to Toccata CD TOCCC0466 (2022)</ref> He took further composition lessons with ] at ] and with ] at the ].<ref name=comp/> | ||
| ⚫ | Initially Wright worked as a music teacher and a peripatetic brass teacher at various state and independent establishments, and as a trombonist, piano accompanist and choral trainer in local music activities.<ref></ref> But in 1993 illness forced him to retire from teaching and he became a full-time composer.<ref name=gram/> In the same year he married Ruth Dickins (1958–2009), a violinist who studied at the ]. They settled in ], Suffolk.<ref>]. ''Recording British Music'' (2024), pp. 214–216</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| Ruth Wright died of cancer in 2009 |
Ruth Wright died of cancer in 2009. Christopher Wright died of pneumonia on 4 December 2024, following a long decline resulting from dementia.<ref name=obit></ref> His music has been recorded on the Cameo, ], Divine Art/Metier, ], Merlin Classics and Toccata labels. | ||
| ==Music== | |||
| ⚫ | Wright's 2010 Violin Concerto was written in memory of his wife and recorded by ]. He also composed an Oboe Concerto for Jonathan Small, a Horn Concerto for ] and a Cello Concerto for ]. His four movement Symphony (2015) received its first performance at the English Music Festival, ], in 2018.<ref>, ''Quarterly Review'', 10 June 2018</ref> Other compositions include much choral, chamber and instrumental music, including a series of works related to Suffolk - such as ''Orfordness'' for flute, violin, cello and piano, the ''Woodbridge Pieces'' for organ, and ''Four East Coast Sketches'' for harp. Likewise the orchestral piece ''The Lost City'' was inspired by ] and the String Quartet No. 1 by ].<ref name=obit/> The four string quartets (all recorded by the Fejes Quartet) span the years 1978 to 2012.<ref></ref> | ||
| ==Selected works== | ==Selected works== | ||
| {{div col}} | |||
| * ''Music for Youth'', brass quintet (1977) | * ''Music for Youth'', brass quintet (1977) | ||
| * ''Patterns'' for brass band (1978), | * ''Patterns'' for brass band (1978), | ||
| * String Quartet No. 1 (1980) | * String Quartet No. 1 (1980) | ||
| * ''Armageddon'' for large orchestra and tape (1980) | * ''Armageddon'' for large orchestra and tape (1980) | ||
| * |
* Concertino for violin, orchestra and piano (1985) | ||
| * ''Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis'' (1993) | * ''Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis'' (1993) | ||
| * String Quartet No. 2 (1995) | * String Quartet No. 2 (1995) | ||
| Line 24: | Line 28: | ||
| * ''Threnody'' for orchestra (2002) | * ''Threnody'' for orchestra (2002) | ||
| * ''Woodbridge Pieces'' for organ (2002) | * ''Woodbridge Pieces'' for organ (2002) | ||
| ⚫ | * ''Capriccio Burlesque'' for string orchestra (2003) | ||
| * ''Four East Coast Sketches'' for harp (2003) | * ''Four East Coast Sketches'' for harp (2003) | ||
| * String Quartet No. 3 (2005) | * String Quartet No. 3 (2005) | ||
| Line 29: | Line 34: | ||
| * ''Searching'' for cor anglais and strings (2006) | * ''Searching'' for cor anglais and strings (2006) | ||
| * ''Spring Overture'' for orchestra (2007) | * ''Spring Overture'' for orchestra (2007) | ||
| ⚫ | * ''Capriccio Burlesque'' for string orchestra ( |
||
| * ''Divertimento'' for treble recorder and strings (2008) (for ]) | * ''Divertimento'' for treble recorder and strings (2008) (for ]) | ||
| * ''Momentum'' for orchestra (2008) | * ''Momentum'' for orchestra (2008) | ||
| Line 38: | Line 42: | ||
| * Cello Concerto (2011) | * Cello Concerto (2011) | ||
| * String Quartet No. 4 (2012) (Fejes Quartet commission) | * String Quartet No. 4 (2012) (Fejes Quartet commission) | ||
| *''Legend'' for orchestra (2013) (English Music Festival commission) | |||
| {{div col end}} | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| * | |||
| * {{discogs artist|Christopher Wright (7)}} | |||
| * | |||
| {{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
| Line 49: | Line 59: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 10:12, 2 January 2025
British music teacher and composer (1954–2024)Christopher Wright (30 April 1954 – 4 December 2024) was a British music teacher and composer. He described the style of his own music as "largely tonal with atonal flavourings". Others have noted an English pastoral sensibility and the influence of William Walton.
Life and career
Wright was born in Ipswich, Suffolk and began composing while still a teenager: his Kyson Point Suite for flute, oboe, violin and cello was performed at Ipswich Town Hall in 1971. He went on to study composition at the Colchester Institute with Richard Arnell and Alan Bullard. While in Colchester he also first made friends with fellow student and East Anglian composer Nicholas Barton. He took further composition lessons with Stanley Glasser at Goldsmiths College and with Nicholas Sackman at the University of Nottingham.
Initially Wright worked as a music teacher and a peripatetic brass teacher at various state and independent establishments, and as a trombonist, piano accompanist and choral trainer in local music activities. But in 1993 illness forced him to retire from teaching and he became a full-time composer. In the same year he married Ruth Dickins (1958–2009), a violinist who studied at the Guildhall School of Music. They settled in Woodbridge, Suffolk.
Ruth Wright died of cancer in 2009. Christopher Wright died of pneumonia on 4 December 2024, following a long decline resulting from dementia. His music has been recorded on the Cameo, Dutton Epoch, Divine Art/Metier, Lyrita, Merlin Classics and Toccata labels.
Music
Wright's 2010 Violin Concerto was written in memory of his wife and recorded by Fenella Humphreys. He also composed an Oboe Concerto for Jonathan Small, a Horn Concerto for Richard Watkins and a Cello Concerto for Raphael Wallfisch. His four movement Symphony (2015) received its first performance at the English Music Festival, Dorchester on Thames, in 2018. Other compositions include much choral, chamber and instrumental music, including a series of works related to Suffolk - such as Orfordness for flute, violin, cello and piano, the Woodbridge Pieces for organ, and Four East Coast Sketches for harp. Likewise the orchestral piece The Lost City was inspired by Dunwich and the String Quartet No. 1 by Orford Ness. The four string quartets (all recorded by the Fejes Quartet) span the years 1978 to 2012.
Selected works
- Music for Youth, brass quintet (1977)
- Patterns for brass band (1978),
- String Quartet No. 1 (1980)
- Armageddon for large orchestra and tape (1980)
- Concertino for violin, orchestra and piano (1985)
- Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (1993)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1995)
- The Lost City for orchestra (1996)
- Orfordness for flute, violin, cello & piano (1997)
- Idyll for small orchestra (2000)
- In Memoriam for chorus, brass, timpani and strings (2001)
- Threnody for orchestra (2002)
- Woodbridge Pieces for organ (2002)
- Capriccio Burlesque for string orchestra (2003)
- Four East Coast Sketches for harp (2003)
- String Quartet No. 3 (2005)
- A Little Light Music: Suite for String Orchestra (2006)
- Searching for cor anglais and strings (2006)
- Spring Overture for orchestra (2007)
- Divertimento for treble recorder and strings (2008) (for John Turner)
- Momentum for orchestra (2008)
- Missa brevis (2009)
- Oboe Concerto (2009)
- Violin Concerto (2010)
- Horn Concerto (2011)
- Cello Concerto (2011)
- String Quartet No. 4 (2012) (Fejes Quartet commission)
- Legend for orchestra (2013) (English Music Festival commission)
References
- ^ Composer's website
- ^ 'Wright, C: Evocation', in Gramophone, May 2010
- ^ John Turner. Obituary, British Music Society, 22 December 2024
- Notes to Christopher Wright: Sacred Choral Music, Toccata CD TOCC0457 (2020)
- Martin Anderson. Two East Anglian Friends, notes to Toccata CD TOCCC0466 (2022)
- Christopher Wright biography, Divine Art Recordings
- Lewis Foreman. Recording British Music (2024), pp. 214–216
- 'a world première at the English Music Festival', Quarterly Review, 10 June 2018
- Christopher Wright: Four String Quartets, Nimbus NI6291 (2015)
External links
- Composer's website
- Christopher Wright discography at Discogs
- Cello Concerto, Raphael Wallfisch, BBC National Orchestra of Wales