14 October 2022
After a long run of performances, Pianist Rachel Fryer is giving the final performance (at least for now) of Variations down the Line – including my Three Goldberg Variations – on Saturday 22 October, 12-1pm at St. Mary de Haura church, Shoreham, West Sussex.
10 May 2022
The first live performance of the Three Goldberg Variations on 10 September 2021 was reviewed in Musical Opinion.
You can read the full text of the review here:
7 June 2021
Three Goldberg Variations have some live performances coming this Autumn:
10 September, 7.30pm at St Luke’s, Brighton
20 September at the Hurst Festival in Hurstpierpoint
21 September at the Chapel Royal, Brighton
25 September in Trunch, Norfolk
30 October, 12pm for Adur Arts Live in Shoreham
You can find out more about these performances here.
24 September 2020
After the premiere of the Three Goldberg Variations on 9th August, the recording has been re-shown as part of the Hurst Festival on 21st September. You can still see the performance if you follow the link here.
An interesting note that I have slightly revised the first movement since the recording was made! This version should hopefully be performed next year, when concerts are restarting.
27 July 2020
The five composers involved in the ‘Variations down the Line’ project – myself, Julian Broughton, Michael Finnissy, Alison Kay and Nicola Lefanu – met online with pianist and project curator Rachel Fryer in an interview conducted by Adam Swayne (Deputy Head of Keyboard, Royal Northern College of Music) in which we discussed the project, our responses to Bach’s Goldberg Variations and wider issues. The video is 58 minutes long and can be viewed on youtube:
9 July 2020
Just announced – the delayed premiere of my Three Goldberg Variations by pianist Rachel Fryer is to be shown online on 9th August at 7.30pm, as part of the online JAM on the Marsh festival. More details here: https://jamconcert.org/rachel-fryer/
15 April 2020
A new website for the Variations Down the Line project is available here.
I have completed his three variations for the project – a Lento Maestoso, a Toccata and a Canon.
The premiere is scheduled for 4th July at the JAM Festival. You can find out about this and other performances here.
15 October 2019
And here is Fenella Humphrys playing the variation (see 10 October news below for full details):
10 October 2019
Violinist Fenella Humphrys put out a call on twitter for a (solo violin) variation on the famous Paganini theme. It’s proved really interesting with a huge variety of responses from composers.
You can see my response here:
12 July 2019
The last month has been an extremely busy time, with lots of end of term concerts including a Lewisham Music gala concert at the Royal Festival Hall and an amazing alumni gathering for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust.
NMPAT alumni orch rehearsal 
catching up with my clarinet teacher 
conducting at the Royal Festival Hall
25 April 2019
Score and parts of my arrangement of When I am laid in earth, from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas are now available for free download: go here.
23 April 2019
Pianist Rachel Fryer has launched a crowdfunder to help fund her latest project called Variations Down the Line – a 21st century response to Bach’s Goldberg Variations.The project will commission 5 composers – including me – to write 3 variations, using ideas from Bach’s original.
To find out more (and donate if you wish to!) please click here.