Helen Grime
Encyclopedia
Helen Grime is a Scottish composer. Though born in England, her parents returned to Scotland
when she was a baby. Her family raised her in her early years in Ellon, Aberdeenshire
. Her grandparents were music teachers in Macduff, Aberdeenshire
. Her mother teaches music at St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh
.
As a youth, Grime learned the oboe
with John Anderson, whilst her sister Frances learned violin. Grime began music studies at age 9 at the City of Edinburgh Music School
, and continued at age 17 at St Mary's Music School. She played the oboe in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. She started to compose from age 12, where her teachers included Hafliði Hallgrímsson.
Grime continued formal studies at the Royal College of Music
(RCM), where she studied composition with Julian Anderson
and Edwin Roxburgh
and played oboe in the RCM Sinfonietta and RCM Baroque Orchestra. She earned first-class honours and a Master's degree
from the RCM in 2004. Her other composition teachers included Sally Beamish
and Jennifer Martin. She was a 2008 Leonard Bernstein
Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center (USA). Grime was a Legal and General Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music
from 2007 to 2009. She became a lecturer in composition at the Department of Music at Royal Holloway, University of London
, in January 2010.
Grime's compositions include an oboe concerto, for which she herself was the soloist in its world premiere, written on commission from the Meadows Chamber Orchestra (Edinburgh), and for which she won a "Making Music" prize in the British Composer Awards. Other works have included Virga (2007), commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra
and later performed at The Proms
in August 2009. A Cold Spring (2009) was a commission from the Aldeburgh Festival
. The BBC commissioned her work Everyone Sang for the 75th anniversary of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
in 2010. In 2010, she was signed to Chester Music for publication of her music. In February 2011, she was named the next associate composer of The Hallé
Orchestra, starting in autumn 2011, for a contracted period of 3 years.
Orchestral
Concertante
Chamber and ensemble music
Piano
Vocal
Choral
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
when she was a baby. Her family raised her in her early years in Ellon, Aberdeenshire
Ellon, Aberdeenshire
Ellon is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately north of Aberdeen, lying on the River Ythan which has one of the few undeveloped river estuaries on the Eastern coast of Scotland. It is in the ancient region of Formartine...
. Her grandparents were music teachers in Macduff, Aberdeenshire
Macduff, Aberdeenshire
Macduff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Macduff is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Banff across the estuary of the River Deveron...
. Her mother teaches music at St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh
St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh
St. Margaret's School was an independent school in the Newington area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The curriculum was based on the Scottish education system. The school closed its doors for the last time once the summer term ended in June 2010....
.
As a youth, Grime learned the oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
with John Anderson, whilst her sister Frances learned violin. Grime began music studies at age 9 at the City of Edinburgh Music School
City of Edinburgh Music School
The City of Edinburgh Music School is a state-maintained music school in Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded as the Lothian Specialist Music School in 1980, it changed its name in 1996 when Lothian Regional Council was dissolved into four separate unitary councils. It is a non-residential...
, and continued at age 17 at St Mary's Music School. She played the oboe in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. She started to compose from age 12, where her teachers included Hafliði Hallgrímsson.
Grime continued formal studies at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
(RCM), where she studied composition with Julian Anderson
Julian Anderson
Julian Anderson is a British composer and teacher of composition.-Biography:Anderson studied at Westminster School, then with John Lambert at the Royal College of Music, with Alexander Goehr at Cambridge University, privately with Tristan Murail in Paris, and on courses given by Olivier Messiaen,...
and Edwin Roxburgh
Edwin Roxburgh
Edwin Roxburgh is an English composer, conductor and oboist.After playing oboe in the National Youth Orchestra, he won a double scholarship to study composition with Herbert Howells and oboe with Terence MacDonagh at the Royal College of Music. He also studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in...
and played oboe in the RCM Sinfonietta and RCM Baroque Orchestra. She earned first-class honours and a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from the RCM in 2004. Her other composition teachers included Sally Beamish
Sally Beamish
Sally Beamish is a British composer of chamber, vocal, choral and orchestral music. She has also worked in the field of music theatre, film and television, as well as composing for children and for her local community....
and Jennifer Martin. She was a 2008 Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center (USA). Grime was a Legal and General Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
from 2007 to 2009. She became a lecturer in composition at the Department of Music at Royal Holloway, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, in January 2010.
Grime's compositions include an oboe concerto, for which she herself was the soloist in its world premiere, written on commission from the Meadows Chamber Orchestra (Edinburgh), and for which she won a "Making Music" prize in the British Composer Awards. Other works have included Virga (2007), commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
and later performed at The Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
in August 2009. A Cold Spring (2009) was a commission from the Aldeburgh Festival
Aldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
. The BBC commissioned her work Everyone Sang for the 75th anniversary of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is a broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow, Scotland. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation , it is the oldest full-time professional orchestra in Scotland...
in 2010. In 2010, she was signed to Chester Music for publication of her music. In February 2011, she was named the next associate composer of The Hallé
The Hallé
The Hallé is a symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. It is the UK's oldest extant symphony orchestra , supports a choir, youth choir and a youth orchestra, and releases its recordings on its own record label, though it has occasionally released recordings on Angel Records and EMI...
Orchestra, starting in autumn 2011, for a contracted period of 3 years.
Selected compositions
Stage- Doorstepping Susanna, Chamber Opera for soprano, counter-tenor, bass, bass clarinet, double bass and percussion (2002)
Orchestral
- Virga (2007)
- Everyone Sang (2010)
Concertante
- Oboe Concerto (2003)
- Clarinet Concerto (2009)
Chamber and ensemble music
- 5 Miniatures (1996)
- Quintet for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2002)
- Romance for violin and piano (2003)
- Blurred Edges for flute (piccolo), clarinet (bass clarinet), violin, cello, harp and piano (2004)
- Chasing Butterflies for 100 violas (8-part ensemble) (2004)
- Song for Seven Instruments (2004)
- Quartet (2004)
- Elegiac Inflections for wind ensemble (2005)
- 5 Movements for cello and piano (2005)
- YKSITOISTA for chamber ensemble (2005)
- Into the Faded Air for 2 violin, 2 violas and 2 cellos (2007)
- The Brook Sings Loud for violin, cello and piano (2008)
- Piano Trio (2008)
- A Cold Spring for chamber ensemble (2009)
- To See the Summer Sky for violin and viola (2009)
- Fantasie, Danse, Cérémonie for flute and harp (2010)
- 7 Pierrot Miniatures for flute (piccolo), clarinet (bass clarinet), violin (viola), cello and piano (2010)
- Luna for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, percussion and piano (2011)
Piano
- The Flash of Fireflies in Folds of Darkness (2004)
- Harp of the North (2004)
- Entwined Channels for 2 pianos (2006)
- 10 Miniatures (2009)
Vocal
- A Vision for soprano, clarinet, violin and cello (2000)
- A Last Look for soprano and piano (2002)
- In the Mist for tenor and piano (2008)
- Nobody Comes for voice and piano (2008)
Choral
- Lachrymae for chorus a cappella (2005)
External links
- Chester Novello publishing house page on Helen Grime
- Royal Holloway, University of London page on Helen Grime
- Scottish Music Centre page on Helen Grime
- Sound Scotland page on Helen Grime
- Sound and Music page on Helen Grime
- CV from Aberdeen Chamber Orchestra
- "BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 75th Anniversary Concert", BBC Two Programmes page