My career has taken me to the USA (UCSD), Italy (Ferrara, Florence and Palermo) and Austria - Vienna (UE), However, most of my time was spent at The University of Birmingham – almost 35 years. I am still listed on the staff as Emeritus Professor in Composition. Jonty Harrison was/is my long time friend and colleague and we were able, despite some academic resistance, to establish a centre for new music in Birmingham. Along with Simon Rattle and Simon Clugston I was able to secure a BCMG association with the Barber Institute (the home of a fine art gallery and the music department at Birmingham). Although I did not work in the electronic studio I remained interested in Jonty’s work and we created many performances independently and - at our best - together. Some of that history is written up by Jonty in my profile.
On retirement I returned that part of Yorkshire that nurtured me: north of York, by the North Yorkshire moors. However, I have retained my connections with Ferrara, Florence (my long time assistant, Paul Roberts, lives there) and Sicily – where I composed these 13 little pieces, over a fortnight, last November. While I did not teach composition based on my own technique; for those post-graduates who were interested and ready I did give some clues. Now that I am retired I am happy to share more of what I have thought and done over these past 40 years.
Music is music - and it is not necessary for an innocent listener to know all this compositional preparation. But you, as composers, might be curious enough to know something of what I have tried to do (?)