Philip Lawson (baritone)
Encyclopedia
Philip Lawson is a composer and arranger, mostly of a cappella and sacred music. He is currently a baritone with The King's Singers
and has been the group's principal arranger for the past fifteen years. In 2009 the group's album "Simple Gifts", on which Lawson arranged 10 out of 15 tracks, won the Grammy award for "Best Classical Crossover Album". In July 2011, he announced that he will be leaving the King's Singers in January 2012 to concentrate on his writing career.
, West Sussex
and attended Hazelwick Comprehensive School. He is not from a musical family but a chance meeting introduced him to the boys' choir of Worth Church which sparked his interest in music, particularly church music. He went on to study Music at York University
under Wilfrid Mellers
and to sing counter-tenor in York Minster choir, under Francis Jackson.
He moved to London upon graduating and worked for a few years as a soloist and with many choirs including The BBC Singers, The Taverner Choir, Opera Rare and the choirs of St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Southwark Cathedral.
From 1982 to 1993 Lawson was a Lay Clerk in Salisbury Cathedral Choir under Richard Seal and from 1989 was Director of Music of Chafyn Grove Preparatory School. During this time he also performed many times with The Sixteen
, the English Concert and CM90, and worked as pianist and arranger for a local dance band.
In June 1993 he successfully auditioned for the part of second baritone with The King's Singers
, replacing founder-member Simon Carrington. In 1996 he volunteered to fill the vacancy for first baritone, and continues to sing this part. In 2012 Lawson has announced that he intends to step down from his position with The King's Singers in order to concentrate on his composing and arranging.
.
The album won the Grammy for Best Classical Crossover Album at the Grammy Award Ceremony held in Los Angeles in February 2009.
He also wrote the lyrics to "Born on a New Day", the highly successful Christmas version of the King's Singers best-selling hit arrangement of "You are the New Day".
Lawson is also a composer of choral music in his own right with more than a hundred published works, and has a busy schedule of commissions from choirs and a cappella groups. Most of his works are in print with Hal Leonard Corporation in the USA, but he also has works published by Boosey and Hawkes, Walton Music, The Lorenz Corporation, Morningstar Music, Pavane Publications, Alliance Music, Banks Music, Encore Publications and Schoolplay Productions.
DVDs
King's Singers
The King's Singers is a British a cappella vocal ensemble who celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2008. Their name recalls King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars in 1968. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s...
and has been the group's principal arranger for the past fifteen years. In 2009 the group's album "Simple Gifts", on which Lawson arranged 10 out of 15 tracks, won the Grammy award for "Best Classical Crossover Album". In July 2011, he announced that he will be leaving the King's Singers in January 2012 to concentrate on his writing career.
Background
Philip Lawson was born in CrawleyCrawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
and attended Hazelwick Comprehensive School. He is not from a musical family but a chance meeting introduced him to the boys' choir of Worth Church which sparked his interest in music, particularly church music. He went on to study Music at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
under Wilfrid Mellers
Wilfrid Mellers
Wilfrid Howard Mellers OBE was an English music critic, musicologist and composer.-Early life:Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, Mellers was educated at the local Leamington College and later won a scholarship to Downing College, Cambridge, where he read English. At Cambridge, he formed a...
and to sing counter-tenor in York Minster choir, under Francis Jackson.
Singing Career
Lawson switched from counter-tenor to baritone in 1978 at the age of 21, after volunteering to fill in a few bars of baritone in the University music department's performance of Monteverdi's "Orfeo" as there was no-one else available to sing them.He moved to London upon graduating and worked for a few years as a soloist and with many choirs including The BBC Singers, The Taverner Choir, Opera Rare and the choirs of St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Southwark Cathedral.
From 1982 to 1993 Lawson was a Lay Clerk in Salisbury Cathedral Choir under Richard Seal and from 1989 was Director of Music of Chafyn Grove Preparatory School. During this time he also performed many times with The Sixteen
The Sixteen
The Sixteen are a choir and period instrument orchestra; founded by Harry Christophers in 1979.The group's special reputation for performing early English polyphony, masterpieces of the Renaissance, bringing fresh insights into Baroque and early Classical music and a diversity of 20th century...
, the English Concert and CM90, and worked as pianist and arranger for a local dance band.
In June 1993 he successfully auditioned for the part of second baritone with The King's Singers
King's Singers
The King's Singers is a British a cappella vocal ensemble who celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2008. Their name recalls King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars in 1968. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s...
, replacing founder-member Simon Carrington. In 1996 he volunteered to fill the vacancy for first baritone, and continues to sing this part. In 2012 Lawson has announced that he intends to step down from his position with The King's Singers in order to concentrate on his composing and arranging.
Composing and Arranging
Lawson is at present still touring and recording with The King's Singers and for fifteen years has been the group's main arranger. He has ten arrangements on the group's Grammy winning album "Simple Gifts", recorded in 2008 at the studio of Status Quo lead guitarist Francis RossiFrancis Rossi
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
.
The album won the Grammy for Best Classical Crossover Album at the Grammy Award Ceremony held in Los Angeles in February 2009.
He also wrote the lyrics to "Born on a New Day", the highly successful Christmas version of the King's Singers best-selling hit arrangement of "You are the New Day".
Lawson is also a composer of choral music in his own right with more than a hundred published works, and has a busy schedule of commissions from choirs and a cappella groups. Most of his works are in print with Hal Leonard Corporation in the USA, but he also has works published by Boosey and Hawkes, Walton Music, The Lorenz Corporation, Morningstar Music, Pavane Publications, Alliance Music, Banks Music, Encore Publications and Schoolplay Productions.
As Second Baritone
- English Renaissance
- Sermons and Devotions
- Ligeti Nonsense Madrigals (part of the Sony Complete Ligeti collection)
- Spirit Voices (includes guest artists Bruce JohnstonBruce JohnstonBruce Arthur Johnston is a member of The Beach Boys and a songwriter, remembered especially for composing "I Write the Songs". Johnston was not one of the original members of the band...
, Mike LoveMike LoveMichael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
, Midge UreMidge UreJames "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...
, Dewey Bunnell, Gerry BeckleyGerry BeckleyGerald Linford "Gerry" Beckley is a founding member of the band America.Beckley was born to an American father, and an English mother. He began playing the piano at the age of three and the guitar a few years later. By 1962, Beckley was playing guitar in The Vanguards, an instrumental surf music...
and James WarrenJames WarrenJames Warren was the President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and a Paymaster General of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, among other positions. He was born, and died, in Plymouth, Massachusetts...
)
As First baritone
CDs- Runnin' Wild (as guests of the Boston Pops OrchestraBoston Pops OrchestraThe Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
, conductor Keith LockhartKeith LockhartFor the baseball player, see Keith Lockhart Keith Lockhart , to Newton Frederick and Marilyn Jean Woodyard Lockhart, is an American orchestral conductor....
) - Circle of Life (with the Metropol Orchestra, conductor Carl DavisCarl DavisCarl Davis CBE is an American born conductor and composer who has made his home in the UK since 1961. In 1970 he married the English actress Jean Boht....
) - Grammy nomination 2000 - Nightsong (with pianist Roger VignolesRoger VignolesRoger Vignoles is a British pianist and accompanist. He regularly performs with the world’s leading singers – including Kiri Te Kanawa, Thomas Allen, Anne Sofie von Otter, Thomas Hampson, Gitta-Maria Sjøberg, Sarah Walker, Susan Graham, Felicity Lott, Stephan Genz, Monica Groop, Wolfgang Holzmair,...
) - Streetsongs (with percussionist Evelyn GlennieEvelyn GlennieDame 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...
) - Firewater (with Andrew Lawrence-KingAndrew Lawrence-KingAndrew Lawrence-King is a harpist and early music specialist, and is currently the director of The Harp Consort...
and the Harp Consort) - Music of the Beatles (with the Cincinnati Pops OrchestraCincinnati Pops OrchestraThe Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same administration...
, conductor Erich KunzelErich KunzelErich Kunzel, Jr. was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the Chicago Tribune, he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra , which he led for over 44 years.-Early life and career:Kunzel was born to...
) - The Triumphs of Oriana
- Christmas
- Gesualdo Tenebrae Responsories
- Treason and Dischord (with Concordia)
- Sacred Bridges (with Sarband Ensemble)
- Spem in Alium
- The Quiet Heart
- Landscape and Time
- The Golden Age
- Simple Gifts - Grammy win 2009 - Best Crossover album
- Live at the BBC Proms
- Reflections
- Romance du Soir
- From the Heart
- Pachelbel Vespers (with Charivari Ensemble)
- Swimming over London
- In this quiet moment
- Christmas Oratorio (with the WDR Big Band)
- Joy to the world
DVDs
- A workshop video
- From Byrd to the Beatles (live at Cadogan Hall)
- Live at the BBC Proms - MidemMidem-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
award 2010 - Best Concert DVD - Joy to the world