British Composer Awards 2015

They're dealing in the back alley
So spoilt for choice it beggars belief

My daughter, yards away asleep
I hope I can give you what you need

Dealing

Some days undone from the salt and earth,
Nonsense I hear you say,
A stitch in time

How's our Petey? 
Must be lovely having him again?
Keeps hitting home now and then for me

See you for Countdown,
We'll drop his grandad round on our way in

Here's to lost boys,
Here's to downing tools in the Endwood,
Just as we always would,
But this one's on me,
My jar tipped to sweet Mary,
Some days undone

Some Days Undone

composed by Dai Fujikura
text by Harry Ross
performed by Nederlands Kamerkoor 
conductor: Reinbert de Leeuw


Papaver for choir

Split into six continuous movements, this dramatic piece contrasts moments of tranquility with cacophony, freedom with oppression, and organisation with chaos! Taking inspiration from Sun Tzu's ancient manual on strategy, 'The Art of War', I started to imagine the orchestra as a sort of army trying to follow Sun Tzu's sage advice, e.g. ‘Ultimate excellence lies…in defeating the enemy without ever fighting’, but falling into a maelstrom or chaos and mutiny at every turn.  

Sun Tzu's 'five fundamentals' of 'The Way', 'Heaven', 'Earth', 'Command' and ‘Discipline' became important musical characters in the piece and loosely form five of the six main sections. After battling not only within themselves, but also with the 'offstage' orchestra, the piece reaches an ethereal, transcendent epilogue with the music rising ever higher and higher. 

To add an extra dimension to this piece, I was able to work with the CCSO's Artist in Residence, Lesley Fotherby, whose artwork is going to be projected above the orchestra during the performance. Lesley has been busy creating abstract watercolour sketches based on early rehearsals of the music, which in turn have been up on my wall as inspiration while completing the piece.


In Search of Strategy - Full BBC Recording

Tycho's Dream, a sci-fi youth opera for the Glyndebourne main stage, premiered 8th Nov 2014. Part 2: Fear of Counting Forward

Tycho's Dream: Part 2, Fear Of Counting Forward

I woke up today, the weight off my shoulders
Woke up today, unburdened by time
Safe in the arms of my partner and daughter
Just easy and alive

It's not every day, we can breeze through the motions
Not every day, but once in a while
You let the world go and it's happy to hold you
Just easy and alive

Easy

Introduction by Ankita Saxena.
Music: Stuart Hancock and Drum Heads.
Words: Mat Lloyd.
Performed by the Snapshot Songs Choir.
Soloists: Jacqueline Acheampong, Julius Xavier, Olivia Preye Bradbury, Kevin Speid.

01 Overture - This City

Soundtrack, composed by Stuart Hancock, for the new short film A FRIEND OF DOROTHY, written and directed by Lee Knight, starring Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry and Alistair Nwachukwu.

'A Friend of Dorothy' explores themes of old age, intergenerational friendship, and LGBTQ+ issues. It tells is a new adventure/drama film that shines a light on the refugee situation in Europe. It tells the story of an elderly woman, Dorothy (Margolyes), whose quiet life is disrupted when a teenage boy's football lands in her garden. The soundtrack is a sensitive chamber score that gently supports the film's emotional core.

Musicians:
Gabi Opacka-Boccadoro - VIolin
Rachel Robson - Viola
Danny Keane - Cello
Stuart Hancock - Piano

6 More than a Hobby

M01 Alien Planet

Some clips from my orchestral piece, 'In Search of Strategy', commissioned as part of the 'Adopt a Composer' scheme and nominated for a British Composer Award.

In Search Of Strategy_Clips

Up went the ball from the hurley-peaked hill brow 
- I know what a hurley is now - 
Slow motion in my Grandad’s wing mirror, up and out of view, 
I whip-pan to the sunroof and it’s double-speed on the way down. 

I love at the football when, naivety waived, 
me and half the lower-upper tier clutch skyward, 
rising and falling to the ball’s arc as it’s lumped clear, umpteen rows away. 
And we’re all thinking
        He meant that for me, bless him.

Conversely this sliotar, that’s what the ball’s called now,
now that it’s coming down, 
has me cowering.

Grandad and his DeLorean-doored Honda. 
It’s like Back To The Future but we’re in Ballycastle.
Me and a hailstone of unknown culture and unspent years, 
some fifteen or so, some half a lifetime ago.

Granny wants to cut my hair not long before I’m balding, but who’s to know. 
I’m scared but still steal her rollies. She swears the river’s Guinness. 
My big brother can’t get served. 

And I wonder if that sliotar ever came down, 
or another wonder-stricken stranger felt the sound
I must have missed, as it nearly-missed. And Grandad didn’t flinch.

01 Overture - This City

Stuart Hancock, composer

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