Over the last 6 weeks I have been having once fortnightly zoom lessons from a composer (Adam)friend of my ex-colleague and friend (and very good violinist),Andrew. The initial focus has been on re-mastering. I re-mastered  this composition and made a few compositional changes that the re-mastering suggested. The enhanced detail, especially in the timbral subtleties, is very noticeable.
The  music was originally composed in  2019 whilst on holiday in Spain. Our friends, Sarah and Tony joined us for a while. Memories of that time (cycling up to Casares from the coast with Tony) fill me with a slightly melancholic nostalgia.

Reconnect For Orchestra (The Summer Before Last)

Experimenting again here with different divisions of strings. Why is getting the balance right so difficult? Part of the answer is that conductors (not composers) are the experts. They ensure, for example, that large numbers of divisions of second violins, avoid blasting smaller numbers of viola divisions into acoustic oblivion.

Small, medium or large orchestras plainly have very different numbers of divisions of the different string instruments. It is very complicated to get the balance right, to say the least. Conductors know how to handle all sorts of different orchestras (small, medium and large)...and therefore all sorts of different divisions, of all sorts of instruments.

The best way for composers to learn (from conductors) is to attend rehearsals of pieces made by famous composers. Making notes of everything the conductor says to the orchestra during rehearsals.

Gustav Mahler was a conductor who happened to compose in his spare time. Being a good conductor, in my opinion, is orders of magnitude more difficult than being a good composer. Controversially, I suggest good conductors should not be required (by the performance notes of a score), to adhere strictly to performance notes. Good conductors should be positively encouraged to interpret scores ad libitum.

Efforts were made in the above study to think about string divisions, in relation to other string divisions and piano. A technical study. Which became the first movement of my first piano concerto.

Piano Concerto No.1 (1st movement) Op.22

Piano Concerto No.3 (2nd movement) Op.36 - Adagio

A while back, my good friend, Rémi (Fa-do) sent me a short piece of music he had written in his beloved Baroque style. Recently, he asked me if I would like to compose something around his idea which, for whatever reasons he entitled, ‘Oeilllets’.
If one is not sure how to pronounce, ‘Oeillets’ in French, the traditional English cry of ‘Oh Yeah’  provides a good starting point.

I enjoy gardening and have a few large pots of Oeilllets (Carnations) in my garden and this composition, ‘Oh Yeah, French Carnations’ attempts to depict the life-cycle  of this rewarding little plant.
The quirky, yet monotonous, introduction expresses the preparing the soil and sewing the seeds. From that dark brown, vacant surface, the nascent shoots gently enter into view, the stems elongate, leaves develop, buds form and the - the small, brightly coloured flowers burst forth. 
These flowers with their firm, fine stems are easy to pick for house decorations or wearing in button holes.
Sadly, they then fade and die - happily they come again.
Enjoy.

Oh Yeah, French Carnations

The warrior faced the war and managed to survive, leaving behind the memories of the loss of his comrades, hunger and thirst, and the trauma of the death of so many loved ones. From childhood, he had received pure love from his mother, for whom he was her entire cosmos. The warrior's mother loved to do things. She instilled, in his actions, dedication to those she cared for. She conveyed what she felt in her heart through her daily actions. The warrior, then a child, had therefore learned the art of doing things well. As he grew up, the warrior had become a Person capable of caring for those he loved within his inner cosmos, and he had discovered that the outside world was not particularly interested in this. Therefore, he had placed himself at the right distance from the demands of a system of things created by evil men for blind domination and oppression. He was beyond, and did not fit into any category of the system's bloodthirsty representation. He was outside that scheme. Those who had invented that murderous representation were individuals who hated Beauty and pure love. Since childhood, he had been clear that man must have the opportunity to be free, to love, to commit, and to fly. He was grateful for everything he had in life, for the love he felt for his Mate. He was grateful for the love he had received from his parents, from the earliest days of his childhood. He was grateful for the opportunity to try to live a dignified life. The image of evil men had not killed him. The warrior lived those days with the hope of finally being able to embrace his Mate again, who, for him, was the true cornerstone of his entire existence. She was someone who knew how to love. She had been able to discern the criminal plan behind the bloodthirsty image of the powerful, who wanted, through war, to destroy every form of human life, the legitimate aspirations of every child, and the destiny of the human race. Walking along the path that would lead him home, the warrior reflected on how deeply the bloodthirsty image had penetrated the minds and hearts of individuals. The warrior, moving toward what was once his home, observed villages destroyed by hatred, and it was then that he understood that conflict was truly in every man's mind, and that the representation had only shown it in its alienating extent. The thought of his Companion still sustained him, when, suddenly, his eyes caught sight of the clear image of a silver Fortress rising on a majestic hill. The sun illuminated its profile, creating a diffuse chiaroscuro effect; the sky was indigo and the earth Titian red. He continued. He reached the Fortress's gate and heard the loving sound of children's voices playing. Unexpectedly, the Fortress's great door opened. The children ran toward the warrior, immediately realizing how exhausted the war veteran was. A child brought him water, which the warrior drank. Then, a woman's voice broke the murmur of the playing children. "Children, show me!" she said, her tone firm, her voice revealing her youthful innocence. The warrior immediately looked up, the woman looked at him, and they recognized each other instantly, because that's what happens to people who love each other. The woman ran toward the warrior, and he, seeing her approach, smiled at her with his last remaining strength, and when they embraced, she said to him: "My love, you're back safe and sound!"

This EP is a concept album.

This album is dedicated to my Companion, the true pillar of my life, to my father, who loved Art, and to my mother, a master in the art of knowing how to do things.

One day, children will witness the birth of a New Age of Light...

6. "O"

Neither Here Nor There

A VISIT !!!!! HURRAY !!!!
it is a long journey out here to the forest far from city delights
i am so grateful <3<3 only a parent could understand <3<3
they are not a frog but a crow🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛
made with new item chromatic pitch thingy but the G doesn't work (second hand from ebay)
also made with other mic, looper, voice, bugle, hand drum, trusty zoomh1, NCH

hurray !! the offspring of fr0ggy5 cometh 💕💕💕for visit 💕💕💕🚂🚂

made with electric bass guitar, acoustic guitar (Honey), piano, casio, stylophones (both), other mic, looper, hand drum, trusty zoomh1, and NCH and i am sure i forget someone

stoopid video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGjZ7AvHKIk

when your wrong note is the best part

the variations of Piero Tarditi on a base track by Marco Lucchi

Piero Tarditi & Marco Lucchi - wallpaper music n*1 [variations] async piano version

made with piano, bongos, hand drum, bluey the electric guitar, casio, whistle, amp, other mic, looper, trusty zoomh1, NCH and HOPE blind HOPE

stupid video :D https://youtu.be/1frE_1D4Un4

and we all rush madly toward the future

it was sooo fun !!!
now tired and happy and rest
made with 2 loopers, percussions and stuff
lots of stuff
wooden xylophone has big part
IDK took some days off from music and feel out of sorts 
thanks for listen !!! <3

celebrating the end of celebrating

I was born in Leicester in the late 1950's. Since semi-retirement and subsequent retirement (as a Dermatologist and formerly G.P) I have spent some of my spare time trying to learn music theory. I also enjoy long distance running as well as cycling, skiing and tennis. I enjoy cooking, gardening and growing a few vegetables. And fine wine (in moderation). I enjoy insect photography, with a particular interest in hoverflies..
To my regret I never learnt a musical instrument when younger but I have listened to and been fascinated by music for as long as I can remember. The advent of the computer age has allowed me to pursue my desire to compose music. I use Logic Pro X software (and MuseScore3 for recent piano compositions). My compositions reflect my varied listening preferences (including Contemporary Classical, Jazz and  Music from other cultures around the world).

Reconnect For Orchestra (The Summer Before Last)

SFJ