Composers
Patrick Hawes
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Born: 1958
Brief Biography: The popularity of Patrick Hawes’s music derives from a rich, tonal style influenced by his love of the English Romantic tradition as well as the Renaissance and Baroque. His special affection for vocal music has resulted in several collaborations with his brother, the poet Andrew Hawes, including the children’s opera A King’s Ransom and the choral work The Land, both written while Composer-in-Residence at Charterhouse School in Surrey. His song cycle The Call was premiered in Lincoln Cathedral in 1999 with the English Chamber Orchestra and soprano Janet Cowell. In 2002 he wrote his first film score The Incredible Mrs Ritchie, directed by Paul Johansson.
For a complete biography, click here.
Key Works:- The Call
(1999; soprano, orchestra) - The Blue Bird Variations
(2002; soloists, choir, orchestra) - Pavane from ‘The Incredible Mrs Ritchie
(2002; guitar, chamber orchestra) - The Lazarus Requiem
(2004; soloists, choir, orchestra) - Quanta Qualia (2004; choir)
- Lullaby (2005; violin, piano)
| Career Highlights:- 1990 taught music and English at Pangbourne School, UK
- 1990-7 Composer-in-Residence at Charterhouse School, UK
- 2001 wrote theme tune for Rugby World Cup on ITV channel in UK
- 2004 debut album Blue in Blue highest new entry by a new composer on Classic FM’s Hall of Fame
- 2005 Lullaby premiered at the Wigmore Hall; Blue in Blue nominated for a Classical Brit Award
- 2005 Quanta Qualia released on Hayley Westenra’s album Odyssey
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Full Biography:
Over the past few years, Patrick Hawes has emerged as one of the most popular contemporary English composers. Within weeks of its release in January this year, his debut album ‘Blue in Blue’ stormed the classical charts and was made CD of the week on Classic FM. Subsequently it was voted the fastest and highest new entry into the Hall of Fame by the Classic FM audience.
Hawes's music owes a great deal to the English Romantic tradition of Delius and Vaughan Williams but also displays elements of the Renaissance and Baroque styles which formed the basis for the composer's research degree at Durham University. There he was an organ scholar and conductor of the university symphony orchestra and chamber choir.
After a period teaching music and English, he was appointed to the position of Composer in Residence at Charterhouse. At this stage, he wrote the children's opera A King's Ransom and so built on his creative partnership with his brother Andrew. Together they have produced several large-scale works including The Wedding at Cana and The Far Seeing Land, as well as miscellaneous songs and choral pieces. His song cycle The Call was premiered in Lincoln Cathedral in 1999 and this marked the beginning of a fruitful relationship with the English Chamber Orchestra. In 2002, they collaborated with Patrick's own choir Conventus on 'Blue in Blue' and the same forces are to record his recently completed Lazarus Requiem early in 2005.
Over the past few years, Patrick has also established himself as a composer for film and television, writing the theme tune for last year's Rugby World Cup on ITV and the score for The Incredible Mrs Ritchie, a new film starring James Caan and the Emmy award winning actress Gena Rowlands.
External Websites
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