James MacMillan (musician)
Encyclopedia
James MacMillan CBE (born 16 July 1959) is a Scottish
classical composer
and conductor
.
, in North Ayrshire
, but lived in the East Ayrshire
town of Cumnock
until 1977.
He studied composition at the University of Edinburgh
with Rita McAllister
, and at Durham University
with John Casken
, gaining a PhD
in 1987. He was a music lecturer at the University of Manchester
from 1986-1988. After his studies, MacMillan returned to Scotland, composing prolifically, and becoming Associate Composer with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra
, often working on education projects.
's premiere of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie
at the Proms in 1990. Isobel Gowdie
was one of many women executed for witchcraft
in 17th century Scotland
. According to the composer, "the work craves absolution and offers Isobel Gowdie the mercy and humanity that was denied her in the last days of her life".
The work's international acclaim spurred more high-profile commissions, including a percussion concerto
for fellow Scot Evelyn Glennie
, Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
. It was premiered in 1992 and has become MacMillan's most performed work. He was also asked by Mstislav Rostropovich
to compose a cello concerto, which was premiered by Rostropovich himself in 1997.
Further successes have included his second opera The Sacrifice, commissioned by Welsh National Opera, Autumn 2007, which won a Royal Philharmonic Society
Award, and the St John Passion jointly commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra
and Boston Symphony Orchestra
and conducted by Sir Colin Davis
at its world premiere in April 2008. He was awarded the British Composer Award for Liturgical Music
, for his Strathclyde Motets, in December 2008.
James MacMillan has worked occasionally with the folk band The Whistlebinkies, for whom he set and performed the William Soutar
poem, "Tryst". MacMillan conducted a new production of Parthenogenesis at the Royal Opera House
in June 2009.
and the political
. His Roman Catholic
faith has inspired many of his sacred works; for example, Magnificat (1999), and several Mass
es. This central strand of his life and compositions was marked by the BBC Symphony Orchestra
in early 2005, with a survey of his music entitled From Darkness into Light. MacMillan and his wife are lay Dominicans
, and he has collaborated with Michael Symmons Roberts
, a Catholic poet, and also Rowan Williams
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
.
Scottish traditional music has also had a profound musical influence, and is frequently discernible in his works. When the Scottish Parliament
was reconvened in 1999 after 292 years, a fanfare composed by MacMillan accompanied the Queen
into the chamber. Weeks after the opening ceremony, MacMillan launched an outspoken attack on anti-Catholicism in Scotland in a speech entitled "Scotland's Shame".
MacMillan's use of (even subliminally) familiar themes has perhaps made his music more accessible. This accessibility is demonstrated by the range of his liturgical music: his Mass of 2000 was commissioned by Westminster Cathedral
and contains sections which the congregation may join in singing. Similarly, the St Anne's Mass and Galloway Mass do not require advanced musicianship, being designed to be taught to a congregation.
One of his most important commissions (by the Bishops' Conferences of England & Wales and of Scotland) was to write a new mass setting for choir and congregation to be sung at two of the three masses celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI during his Apostolic and state visit to Great Britain in 2010. First sung at mass at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, on 16 September it was sung again at the mass and beatification of—as of the time of that ceremony—Blessed John Henry Newman at Cofton Park, Birmingham, on 19 September). He was also commissioned to write a setting in Latin of Jesus' words to St. Peter (as described in St. Matthew chapter 16, verse 18, 'You are Peter and on this rock [in Greek 'rock' translates as 'Petros'] I will build my Church') for the Pope's entry at mass at Westminster Cathedral on 18 September; sung in recognition that Pope Benedict is the (265th) successor of St. Peter and thus supreme pastor and leader on earth of the 'one [and only one], holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church' (Nicene Creed).
and conductor
with the BBC Philharmonic
from 2000 to 2009, following which he took up a position as principal guest conductor with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic. His collaboration with Michael Symmons Roberts
is ongoing, with his second opera, The Sacrifice
(based on the ancient Welsh
tales of the Mabinogion
), being premiered by Welsh National Opera
in Autumn 2007. Sundogs, a large-scale work for a cappella
choir, also using text by Symmons Roberts, was premiered by the Indiana University
Contemporary Vocal Ensemble in August 2006.
He is an Honorary Fellow
of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford
. He is patron of St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh
, of the London Oratory School
Schola Cantorum along with Simon Callow
and HRH Princess Michael of Kent
, and he has recently been appointed patron of The British Art Music Series along with Libby Purves
and John Wilson
.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in 2004.
In 2008, he became Honorary Patron of London Chamber Orchestra
's LCO New: Explore project which explores links between music and other art forms and fosters emerging creative talent in composition.
Reviews of world première of the Violin Concerto
Review of Seven Last Words from the Cross
Personal life
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...
classical composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Early life
MacMillan was born at KilwinningKilwinning
Kilwinning is a historic town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is known as The Crossroads of Ayrshire. The 2001 Census recorded it as having a population of 15,908.-History:...
, in North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South...
, but lived in the East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders on to North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway...
town of Cumnock
Cumnock
Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water...
until 1977.
He studied composition at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
with Rita McAllister
Rita McAllister
Margaret 'Rita' McAllister is a Scottish musicologist and composer. She is the Director of Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and is renowned as an authority on the works of Sergei Prokofiev.She undertook her undergraduate studies at the University of Glasgow, graduating BMus...
, and at Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
with John Casken
John Casken
John Casken is an English composer, born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England.Casken read music at the University of Birmingham, studying composition and contemporary music with John Joubert and Peter Dickinson. He then went on to study in Poland with Andrzej Dobrowolski on a Polish government...
, gaining a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1987. He was a music lecturer at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
from 1986-1988. After his studies, MacMillan returned to Scotland, composing prolifically, and becoming Associate Composer with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is Scotland's national chamber orchestra, based in Edinburgh. One of Scotland’s five National Performing Arts Companies, the SCO performs throughout Scotland, including annual tours of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland. The SCO appears...
, often working on education projects.
Rising success
He came to the attention of the classical establishment with the BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraBBC 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...
's premiere of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie
The Confession of Isobel Gowdie
The Confession of Isobel Gowdie is a work for large symphony orchestra by the Scottish composer James MacMillan.It is, according to the composer, a Requiem for one Isobel Gowdie, supposedly burnt as a witch in post-Reformation Scotland...
at the Proms in 1990. Isobel Gowdie
Isobel Gowdie
Isobel Gowdie was a Scottish woman who was tried for witchcraft in 1662. Her detailed confession, apparently achieved without the use of torture, offers one of the most detailed looks at European witchcraft folklore at the end of the era of witch-hunts....
was one of many women executed for witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
in 17th century Scotland
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...
. According to the composer, "the work craves absolution and offers Isobel Gowdie the mercy and humanity that was denied her in the last days of her life".
The work's international acclaim spurred more high-profile commissions, including a percussion concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
for fellow Scot Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie
Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, DBE is a Scottish virtuoso percussionist. She was the first full-time solo percussionist in 20th-century western society.-Early life:Glennie was born and raised in Aberdeenshire...
, Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
Veni, Veni, EmmanuelThis favourite carol was originally written in Latin text in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer to the music is unknown. It is, however, believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into...
. It was premiered in 1992 and has become MacMillan's most performed work. He was also asked by Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of...
to compose a cello concerto, which was premiered by Rostropovich himself in 1997.
Further successes have included his second opera The Sacrifice, commissioned by Welsh National Opera, Autumn 2007, which won a Royal Philharmonic Society
Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers and performers have taken part in its concerts...
Award, and the St John Passion jointly 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 Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
and conducted by Sir Colin Davis
Colin Davis
Sir Colin Rex Davis, CH, CBE is an English conductor. His repertoire is broad, but among the composers with whom he is particularly associated are Mozart, Berlioz, Elgar, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tippett....
at its world premiere in April 2008. He was awarded the British Composer Award for Liturgical Music
Liturgical music
Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service , the Lutheran Divine Service, the Orthodox liturgy and other Christian services...
, for his Strathclyde Motets, in December 2008.
James MacMillan has worked occasionally with the folk band The Whistlebinkies, for whom he set and performed the William Soutar
William Soutar
William Soutar was a Scottish poet, born 1898. He served in the navy in World War I, and afterwards studied at the University of Edinburgh, where he encountered the work of Hugh MacDiarmid. This led to a radical alteration in his work, and he became a leading poet of the Scottish Literary...
poem, "Tryst". MacMillan conducted a new production of Parthenogenesis at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
in June 2009.
Influences
MacMillan's music is infused with the spiritualSpirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and the political
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. His Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
faith has inspired many of his sacred works; for example, Magnificat (1999), and several Mass
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
es. This central strand of his life and compositions was marked by the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
in early 2005, with a survey of his music entitled From Darkness into Light. MacMillan and his wife are lay Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, and he has collaborated with Michael Symmons Roberts
Michael Symmons Roberts
Michael Symmons Roberts is a British poet. He has published five collections of poetry, all with Cape , and has won the Whitbread Poetry Award, as well as major prizes from the Arts Council and Society of Authors. He has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize twice, the Griffin International...
, a Catholic poet, and also Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
Scottish traditional music has also had a profound musical influence, and is frequently discernible in his works. When the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
was reconvened in 1999 after 292 years, a fanfare composed by MacMillan accompanied the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
into the chamber. Weeks after the opening ceremony, MacMillan launched an outspoken attack on anti-Catholicism in Scotland in a speech entitled "Scotland's Shame".
MacMillan's use of (even subliminally) familiar themes has perhaps made his music more accessible. This accessibility is demonstrated by the range of his liturgical music: his Mass of 2000 was commissioned by Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
and contains sections which the congregation may join in singing. Similarly, the St Anne's Mass and Galloway Mass do not require advanced musicianship, being designed to be taught to a congregation.
One of his most important commissions (by the Bishops' Conferences of England & Wales and of Scotland) was to write a new mass setting for choir and congregation to be sung at two of the three masses celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI during his Apostolic and state visit to Great Britain in 2010. First sung at mass at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, on 16 September it was sung again at the mass and beatification of—as of the time of that ceremony—Blessed John Henry Newman at Cofton Park, Birmingham, on 19 September). He was also commissioned to write a setting in Latin of Jesus' words to St. Peter (as described in St. Matthew chapter 16, verse 18, 'You are Peter and on this rock [in Greek 'rock' translates as 'Petros'] I will build my Church') for the Pope's entry at mass at Westminster Cathedral on 18 September; sung in recognition that Pope Benedict is the (265th) successor of St. Peter and thus supreme pastor and leader on earth of the 'one [and only one], holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church' (Nicene Creed).
Appointments and collaborations
MacMillan was composerComposer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
with the BBC Philharmonic
BBC Philharmonic
The BBC Philharmonic is a British broadcasting symphony orchestra based at Media City UK, Salford, England. It is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The orchestra's primary concert venue is the Bridgewater Hall....
from 2000 to 2009, following which he took up a position as principal guest conductor with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic. His collaboration with Michael Symmons Roberts
Michael Symmons Roberts
Michael Symmons Roberts is a British poet. He has published five collections of poetry, all with Cape , and has won the Whitbread Poetry Award, as well as major prizes from the Arts Council and Society of Authors. He has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize twice, the Griffin International...
is ongoing, with his second opera, The Sacrifice
The Sacrifice (opera)
The Sacrifice is an opera in three acts composed by James MacMillan with a libretto by the poet Michael Symmons Roberts based on the Branwen story of the Welsh myth collection, the Mabinogion. The world premiere took place on 22 September 2007 at the Donald Gordon Theatre of the Wales Millennium...
(based on the ancient Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
tales of the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
), being premiered by Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
in Autumn 2007. Sundogs, a large-scale work for a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
choir, also using text by Symmons Roberts, was premiered by the Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
Contemporary Vocal Ensemble in August 2006.
He is an Honorary Fellow
Honorary title (academic)
Honorary titles in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties...
of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He is patron of St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, of the London Oratory School
London Oratory School
The London Oratory School is a Catholic secondary comprehensive school in Fulham, London. The Headmaster is David McFadden. It has around 1,365 pupils. It is not to be confused with The Oratory School, a Catholic boarding school...
Schola Cantorum along with Simon Callow
Simon Callow
Simon Phillip Hugh Callow, CBE is an English actor, writer and theatre director. He is also currently a judge on Popstar to Operastar.-Early years:...
and HRH Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent is an Austrian-Hungarian member of the British Royal Family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of King George V....
, and he has recently been appointed patron of The British Art Music Series along with Libby Purves
Libby Purves
Libby Purves OBE is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. A diplomat's daughter, she was educated at convent schools in Israel, Bangkok, South Africa and France, and then Beechwood Sacred Heart School in Tunbridge Wells.Purves won a scholarship to St Anne's College, Oxford, where she...
and John Wilson
John Wilson (conductor)
John Wilson is a British conductor, arranger and musicologist and specialises in music for the small and big screens, as well as Big Band jazz and light music...
.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) in 2004.
In 2008, he became Honorary Patron of London Chamber Orchestra
London Chamber Orchestra
The London Chamber Orchestra ' is the longest established professional chamber orchestra in the UK. Based in London, LCO has a residency at St John's Smith Square in Westminster.-History:...
's LCO New: Explore project which explores links between music and other art forms and fosters emerging creative talent in composition.
Personal life
MacMillan is married to his childhood sweetheart Lynne Frew. They have three children: two daughters and a son.Key works
For a comprehensive list, see List of compositions by James MacMillan.- After the Tryst (violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
+ pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- 1988) - The Confession of Isobel GowdieThe Confession of Isobel GowdieThe Confession of Isobel Gowdie is a work for large symphony orchestra by the Scottish composer James MacMillan.It is, according to the composer, a Requiem for one Isobel Gowdie, supposedly burnt as a witch in post-Reformation Scotland...
(orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
- 1990) - The Berserking (piano concertoPiano concertoA piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
- 1990) - Veni, Veni, EmmanuelVeni, Veni, EmmanuelVeni, Veni, EmmanuelThis favourite carol was originally written in Latin text in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer to the music is unknown. It is, however, believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into...
(percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
concertoConcertoA concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
- 1992) - Seven Last Words from the Cross (cantataCantataA cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
: choirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
- 1993) - Inés de Castro (operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, librettoLibrettoA libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
: John CliffordJohn CliffordJohn Clifford CH was a British Nonconformist minister and politician.-Biography:Clifford was son of a warp-machinist...
- 1991-95) - Britannia! (orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
- 1994) - Christus Vincit (1994), for SSAATTBB + Soli
- The World's Ransoming (cor anglaisCor anglaisThe cor anglais , or English horn , is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family....
and orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
- 1997) - Cello Concerto (1997)
- Symphony: Vigil (1997)
- Quickening (soloistSolo (music)In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
s, chorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
- 1998) - Mass (choirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, organ - 2000) - Cello Sonata no2 dedicated to Julian Lloyd WebberJulian Lloyd WebberJulian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
- The Birds of Rhiannon (orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
+ optional chorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, text: Michael Symmons RobertsMichael Symmons RobertsMichael Symmons Roberts is a British poet. He has published five collections of poetry, all with Cape , and has won the Whitbread Poetry Award, as well as major prizes from the Arts Council and Society of Authors. He has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize twice, the Griffin International...
- 2001) - O Bone Jesu (2001), for SSAATTBB + Soli
- Piano concerto No. 2 (2003)
- A Scotch Bestiary (organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
- 2004) - Sundogs (2006)
- The SacrificeThe Sacrifice (opera)The Sacrifice is an opera in three acts composed by James MacMillan with a libretto by the poet Michael Symmons Roberts based on the Branwen story of the Welsh myth collection, the Mabinogion. The world premiere took place on 22 September 2007 at the Donald Gordon Theatre of the Wales Millennium...
(2007) - St John Passion (2008)
- Violin Concerto (2010)
- Oboe Concerto (2010)
Further reading
- Capps, Michael. 2007. "Warld in a Roar: The Music of James MacMillan". Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion, no. 54 (Summer) 95–108.
- Hallam, Mandy. 2008. "Conversation with James MacMillan". Tempo 62, no. 245 (July) 17-29.
- Reich, Wieland. 2005. Neuigkeiten eines Nazareners? Zur Musik von James MacMillan. Fragmen: Beiträge, Meinungen und Analysen zur neuen Musik 47. Saarbrücken: Pfau-Verlag. ISBN 3-89727-310-1.
- Smith, Rowena. 2007. "Celtic Parallels". Opera (UK) 58, no. 9 (September): 1038–43.
- York, John. 2002. "The Makings of a Cycle? James MacMillan's Cello and Piano Sonatas". Tempo, no. 221 (July): 24–28.
External links
- James MacMillan at Boosey & Hawkes
- James MacMillan at Intermusica
- unofficial site at Classical Net
- BBC Philharmonic profile
- Hewett, Ivan; James MacMillan interview; Daily Telegraph, 22 Apr 2009.
Reviews of world première of the Violin Concerto
- Picard, Anna; Review; The Independent, 16 May 2010
- Morrison, Richard; Review; Times Online 14 May 2010
- Ashley, Tim; Review; The Guardian, 17 May 2010
Review of Seven Last Words from the Cross
- Review; Gramophone, September 2009
Personal life
- Sweeney, Charlene; Composer James MacMillan says Scotland in denial over anti-Catholicism; Times Online, 8 December 2009
- Grey, Richard; Composer's note of anger over music education; Scotland on Sunday, 20 November 2005