Sam Richards
Encyclopedia
Sam Richards is an English writer, composer, improviser, jazz pianist and former folk music collector and performer. For most of his life he has lived in south Devon.
After studying with Alfred Nieman
at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
he moved to Devon
and quickly became involved in the performance and collection of folk music, accumulating some 500 hours of recordings from traditional performers. In the late 1980s his interest turned to avant-garde
and experimental music
, and he has written a number of pieces in that genre. He taught at Dartington College of Arts and now teaches at the University of Plymouth
His writings include the books John Cage as... and Sonic Harvest: Towards Musical Democracy; BBC Radios 2
and 3
documentaries including one on the composer Morton Feldman
; and articles for Oral History, the Folk Music Journal
, fRoots, Contemporary Music Review, Proof, and the New Statesman
.
and Cornelius Cardew
. He studied with Nieman at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
. He spent some years in London involved in improvised music and composition, creating events at the Drury Lane Arts Laboratory, collaborating with electronics pioneer Hugh Davis, and composing. In 1968 he moved from the Guildhall to Dartington College of Arts
in Devon where he studied with French avant gardist Michel Decoust
.
In the 1970s he was a member of the folk trio Staverton Bridge with Tish Stubbs and Paul Wilson, and later toured the English folk scene as a duo with Tish Stubbs. He devoted much time to folklore research mainly in England's Westcountry
, concentrating on gypsies, farming communities and children's songs and tales, writing several papers on these subjects. A number of sound recordings made by him and of him performing are held by the British Library Sound Archive
, and the Sam Richards Folklore Archive of 500 hours of recordings of song, music and interviews made between 1972-1987 is held by the University of Plymouth. In 1979 he and Tish Stubbs published The English Folksinger, a collection of folk songs with melodies; it includes a few songs which Richards wrote himself. At this time he was director of the Westcountry Folklore Centre and co-director of People's Stage Tapes, which concentrated on releasing recordings of traditional and revival performers, including a recording of Walter Pardon singing at a folk club in Torquay
. From 1982 to at least 1989 he jointly produced with Steve Roud
a quarterly newsletter titled "Folk Song Research: A Newsletter for Researchers of Traditional Song".
"Fools Holiday" launched Richards back into composing and improvising, and since then he has written many pieces, nearly all of which relate to his interests in large ensembles, landscape, innovative notation, improvisation and the vernacular styles. In 1991 he was funded by the Gulbenkian Foundation to pioneer a new music project entitled ‘Sonic Harvest', involving many musicians, new musical scores, improvisation and music in the landscape. This became the title of a 50-minute documentary film about Sam Richards and his music in 1995, and also his book: Sonic Harvest - Towards Musical Democracy.
He has played and toured with improvisation groups Synchronicity (with Lou Gare
, David Stanley and Sarah Frances), Loopy and the Gruvewelderz (with Andy Visser), and currently plays keyboard and "toychestra" with Half Moon Assemblage (with Lona Kozik, Elie Fruchter-Murray, with guest appearances by Nick Grew and Tim Sayer).
His recent premières include "Fish Music 2" at the UK National Marine Aquarium
in November 2008; "Kropotkin", a large scale piece for many performers, which was performed on 1 March 2009 as part of the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival; and "Four Sea Studies" - premièred by the Torbay Symphony Orchestra in 2010. His "Four Drones" was commissioned in 2009 by the Experimental Flute Ensemble and played in various venues around South Devon. Premièred in June, 2009, was his "About Time: Voices" at the San Francisco Public Library, performed by the Cornelius Cardew Choir.
"Fish Music 2" was a revised version of an earlier performance piece in which fish swimming in a tank become musical notation by means of a five line stave being placed across the glass. String players are instructed to choose a fish and follow its course behind the stave. At the same time a team of improvisers, with backs turned to the fish, responds to the string sound. The earlier version had no improvisers, but had a pre-recorded soundtrack instead. This was the version filmed by Long Room Productions for their hour-long documentary about Richards entitled "Sonic Harvest".
He is also a jazz pianist, specializing in freeform styles, and playing with Mick Green (tenor saxophone), Tim Sayer (trumpet), David George (double bass), with occasional guests. This line-up is known as "The Jazzlab". Richards writes many pieces for this group.
of Dartington College of Arts
, the last small independent arts college in the UK, where he had taught part-time for 30 years. He was a founder member of the "Save Dartington College Campaign" which existed not only to save the college, but to question the processes and interests which led to its closure. Richards said that "the whole ethos of Dartington can’t and won’t be transplanted down there. Once you have taken it away from the place where it grew from, it will become something else." He was suspended from the college over a satirical article he published on the campaign website that criticized the college administration and, in particular, principal Andrew Brewerton. Following a hearing, he was dismissed for gross insubordination, a decision that he appealed against, maintaining that it was unfair and biased against him. The appeal tribunal agreed that if Richards apologised to Brewerton he could be reinstated, giving guidelines as to what the apology should contain. However, the apology he wrote was not accepted by Brewerton and Richards refused to compromise further.
Richards has worked part-time at the University of Plymouth
since the early 1990s. Helectures in music, and is a member of Peninsula Arts
Contemporary Music Group which organises the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival
. He is also one of four organisers of Totnes Music Now.
After studying with Alfred Nieman
Alfred Nieman
Alfred Nieman was a British pianist and composer.Born in the East End of London in 1914 to Polish immigrant parents, Alfred Nieman was playing piano for the silent cinema by the age of fourteen. His talent as a pianist was spotted and the result was that he won a piano scholarship to the Royal...
at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
he moved to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and quickly became involved in the performance and collection of folk music, accumulating some 500 hours of recordings from traditional performers. In the late 1980s his interest turned to avant-garde
Avant-garde music
Avant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
and experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
, and he has written a number of pieces in that genre. He taught at Dartington College of Arts and now teaches at the University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth
Plymouth University is the largest university in the South West of England, with over 30,000 students and is 9th largest in the United Kingdom by total number of students . It has almost 3,000 staff...
His writings include the books John Cage as... and Sonic Harvest: Towards Musical Democracy; BBC Radios 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
and 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
documentaries including one on the composer Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman was an American composer, born in New York City.A major figure in 20th century music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School of composers also including John Cage, Christian Wolff, and Earle Brown...
; and articles for Oral History, the Folk Music Journal
English Folk Dance and Song Society
The English Folk Dance and Song Society was formed in 1932 when two organisations merged: the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society. The EFDSS, a member-based organisation, was incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee in 1935 and became a Registered Charity The English Folk...
, fRoots, Contemporary Music Review, Proof, and the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
.
Early studies and folk music
Richards cites formative influences as Alfred NiemanAlfred Nieman
Alfred Nieman was a British pianist and composer.Born in the East End of London in 1914 to Polish immigrant parents, Alfred Nieman was playing piano for the silent cinema by the age of fourteen. His talent as a pianist was spotted and the result was that he won a piano scholarship to the Royal...
and Cornelius Cardew
Cornelius Cardew
Cornelius Cardew was an English experimental music composer, and founder of the Scratch Orchestra, an experimental performing ensemble. He later rejected the avant-garde in favour of a politically motivated "people's liberation music".-Biography:Cardew was born in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire...
. He studied with Nieman at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
. He spent some years in London involved in improvised music and composition, creating events at the Drury Lane Arts Laboratory, collaborating with electronics pioneer Hugh Davis, and composing. In 1968 he moved from the Guildhall to Dartington College of Arts
Dartington College of Arts
Dartington College of Arts was a specialist arts institution near Totnes, Devon, South West England, it specialized in post-dramatic theatre, music, choreography, Performance Writing and visual performance, focusing on a performative and multi-disciplinary approach to the arts. In addition to this,...
in Devon where he studied with French avant gardist Michel Decoust
Michel Decoust
Michel Decoust is a French composer and conductor.Decoust studied from 1956 to 1965 with Jean Rivier and Darius Milhaud at the Paris Conservatoire, as well as at the Cologne Courses for New Music in 1964–65, with Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen...
.
In the 1970s he was a member of the folk trio Staverton Bridge with Tish Stubbs and Paul Wilson, and later toured the English folk scene as a duo with Tish Stubbs. He devoted much time to folklore research mainly in England's Westcountry
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, concentrating on gypsies, farming communities and children's songs and tales, writing several papers on these subjects. A number of sound recordings made by him and of him performing are held by the British Library Sound Archive
British Library Sound Archive
The British Library Sound Archive in London, England is one of the largest collections of recorded sound in the world, including music, spoken word and ambient recordings....
, and the Sam Richards Folklore Archive of 500 hours of recordings of song, music and interviews made between 1972-1987 is held by the University of Plymouth. In 1979 he and Tish Stubbs published The English Folksinger, a collection of folk songs with melodies; it includes a few songs which Richards wrote himself. At this time he was director of the Westcountry Folklore Centre and co-director of People's Stage Tapes, which concentrated on releasing recordings of traditional and revival performers, including a recording of Walter Pardon singing at a folk club in Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
. From 1982 to at least 1989 he jointly produced with Steve Roud
Steve Roud
Steve Roud is the founder of the Roud Folk Song Index and an expert on folklore and superstition, resident in Maresfield, East Sussex, England. He was formerly Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society, whose Committee he later...
a quarterly newsletter titled "Folk Song Research: A Newsletter for Researchers of Traditional Song".
Avant garde and jazz
After some years specialising in musical anthropology and fieldwork, Richards wrote "Fool's Holiday", a quasi-minimalist score with much opportunity for jazz improvisation. In collaboration with Peter Kiddle of "Theatre of Public Works" this became a theatre/dance piece with many references to circus latzis, ritual and folklore. His music was played by the "Ambling Band", toured in Devon and then went to Luxembourg's "BritEsch" festival in 1989."Fools Holiday" launched Richards back into composing and improvising, and since then he has written many pieces, nearly all of which relate to his interests in large ensembles, landscape, innovative notation, improvisation and the vernacular styles. In 1991 he was funded by the Gulbenkian Foundation to pioneer a new music project entitled ‘Sonic Harvest', involving many musicians, new musical scores, improvisation and music in the landscape. This became the title of a 50-minute documentary film about Sam Richards and his music in 1995, and also his book: Sonic Harvest - Towards Musical Democracy.
He has played and toured with improvisation groups Synchronicity (with Lou Gare
Lou Gare
Lou Gare is an English free-jazz saxophonist born in Rugby, Warwickshire, perhaps best known for his works with the improvised music ensemble AMM and playing with musicians such as Eddie Prévost, Mike Westbrook, Cornelius Cardew, Keith Rowe and Sam Richards...
, David Stanley and Sarah Frances), Loopy and the Gruvewelderz (with Andy Visser), and currently plays keyboard and "toychestra" with Half Moon Assemblage (with Lona Kozik, Elie Fruchter-Murray, with guest appearances by Nick Grew and Tim Sayer).
His recent premières include "Fish Music 2" at the UK National Marine Aquarium
National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth
The National Marine Aquarium is a marine aquarium located in the city of Plymouth, England. Built on reclaimed land, it is located in Sutton Harbour, next to the Barbican and fishmarket, and was opened in May 1998. It is the largest aquarium in the United Kingdom.The mission statement of the...
in November 2008; "Kropotkin", a large scale piece for many performers, which was performed on 1 March 2009 as part of the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival; and "Four Sea Studies" - premièred by the Torbay Symphony Orchestra in 2010. His "Four Drones" was commissioned in 2009 by the Experimental Flute Ensemble and played in various venues around South Devon. Premièred in June, 2009, was his "About Time: Voices" at the San Francisco Public Library, performed by the Cornelius Cardew Choir.
"Fish Music 2" was a revised version of an earlier performance piece in which fish swimming in a tank become musical notation by means of a five line stave being placed across the glass. String players are instructed to choose a fish and follow its course behind the stave. At the same time a team of improvisers, with backs turned to the fish, responds to the string sound. The earlier version had no improvisers, but had a pre-recorded soundtrack instead. This was the version filmed by Long Room Productions for their hour-long documentary about Richards entitled "Sonic Harvest".
He is also a jazz pianist, specializing in freeform styles, and playing with Mick Green (tenor saxophone), Tim Sayer (trumpet), David George (double bass), with occasional guests. This line-up is known as "The Jazzlab". Richards writes many pieces for this group.
Dismissal from Dartington
From 2006, Richards was an outspoken opponent of the proposed closure and move to FalmouthFalmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
of Dartington College of Arts
Dartington College of Arts
Dartington College of Arts was a specialist arts institution near Totnes, Devon, South West England, it specialized in post-dramatic theatre, music, choreography, Performance Writing and visual performance, focusing on a performative and multi-disciplinary approach to the arts. In addition to this,...
, the last small independent arts college in the UK, where he had taught part-time for 30 years. He was a founder member of the "Save Dartington College Campaign" which existed not only to save the college, but to question the processes and interests which led to its closure. Richards said that "the whole ethos of Dartington can’t and won’t be transplanted down there. Once you have taken it away from the place where it grew from, it will become something else." He was suspended from the college over a satirical article he published on the campaign website that criticized the college administration and, in particular, principal Andrew Brewerton. Following a hearing, he was dismissed for gross insubordination, a decision that he appealed against, maintaining that it was unfair and biased against him. The appeal tribunal agreed that if Richards apologised to Brewerton he could be reinstated, giving guidelines as to what the apology should contain. However, the apology he wrote was not accepted by Brewerton and Richards refused to compromise further.
Richards has worked part-time at the University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth
Plymouth University is the largest university in the South West of England, with over 30,000 students and is 9th largest in the United Kingdom by total number of students . It has almost 3,000 staff...
since the early 1990s. Helectures in music, and is a member of Peninsula Arts
Peninsula Arts
Peninsula Arts operates from within the Faculty of Arts and serves as the Arts and Culture programming umbrella organisation for the University of Plymouth. The year round public programme includes exhibitions, music, film, talks and performing arts...
Contemporary Music Group which organises the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival
Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival
The Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival is held in Plymouth, Devon, England. It has a program of leading-edge orchestral, operatic, jazz, and electroacoustic performances, along with film, and music theatre...
. He is also one of four organisers of Totnes Music Now.
Publications
- The English Folksinger (with Tish Stubbs). Glasgow: Collins (1979) ISBN 0 00 414068 4
- Sonic Harvest: Towards Musical Democracy Amber Lane Press Ltd (1992) ISBN 187286807X
- John Cage as... Amber Lane Press Ltd (1996) ISBN 1872868177
Discography
- Staverton Bridge – Staverton Bridge (1975). Saydisc SDL 266 (with Paul Wilson & Tish Stubbs).
- Sam Richards & Tish Stubbs – Invitation to North America, The New World Seen Through English Folk Song (1977). Saydisc
- Sam Richards & Tish Stubbs – The English Folksinger (1979). Transatlantic MTRA 2011
- Sam Richards – Two Old Pianos. Green Ltd.
- Sam Richards – Love Among the Ruins (2002). Green Ltd.