Steve Martland
Encyclopedia
Steve Martland is an English
composer
.
, England
and studied composition at Liverpool University and in the Netherlands
with Louis Andriessen
. He works almost exclusively with artists outside classical institutions - Dutch and American groups, freelance musicians and especially his own Steve Martland Band which tours his music internationally. He has also worked with the King’s Singers and Evelyn Glennie
for whom he wrote Street Songs. Martland was composer in residence at the ETNA Music Festival in Sicily
in 2006 and 2007.
Usually amplified, muscular and powerfully rhythmic, his music has been extensively choreographed: Dance Works commissioned and premièred by London Contemporary Dance Theatre
has received many new productions around the world, and Remix was awarded the SACD Prize for Video Dance Choreography Music after being choreographed for BBC TV by Aletta Collins.
His Principia was adopted as the theme music for the BBC radio programme The Music Machine. Dance Works is also used as the title music for a Dutch TV programme. He also wrote and directed A Temporary Arrangement with the Sea, a film about Louis Andriessen. In August 1998 he collaborated with the band Spiritualized
on a project for the Flux Festival
in Edinburgh
, Scotland
.
Martland’s preoccupation with the function of the composer in society is reflected in his commitment to music education. He believes in the educational impact of creativity: "Creativity is everything that is against what's going on in the world right now. It's to do with tolerance and understanding other people." Martland has directed many composition projects in schools both at home and abroad and he initiated and ran for many years Strike Out, his own annual composition course for school children.
His music is published by Schott Music
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
.
Life and Music
Martland was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and studied composition at Liverpool University and in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
with Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen is a Dutch composer and pianist based in Amsterdam. He teaches composition at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague...
. He works almost exclusively with artists outside classical institutions - Dutch and American groups, freelance musicians and especially his own Steve Martland Band which tours his music internationally. He has also worked with the King’s Singers and 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...
for whom he wrote Street Songs. Martland was composer in residence at the ETNA Music Festival in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in 2006 and 2007.
Usually amplified, muscular and powerfully rhythmic, his music has been extensively choreographed: Dance Works commissioned and premièred by London Contemporary Dance Theatre
London Contemporary Dance Theatre
The London Contemporary Dance Theatre was a contemporary dance company, based at The Place, founded by Robin Howard with Robert Cohan as its Artistic Director....
has received many new productions around the world, and Remix was awarded the SACD Prize for Video Dance Choreography Music after being choreographed for BBC TV by Aletta Collins.
His Principia was adopted as the theme music for the BBC radio programme The Music Machine. Dance Works is also used as the title music for a Dutch TV programme. He also wrote and directed A Temporary Arrangement with the Sea, a film about Louis Andriessen. In August 1998 he collaborated with the band Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
on a project for the Flux Festival
Flux Festival
The Flux Festival was a New Year music festival staged between 2001 and 2005 in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province, South Africa....
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...
, 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...
.
Martland’s preoccupation with the function of the composer in society is reflected in his commitment to music education. He believes in the educational impact of creativity: "Creativity is everything that is against what's going on in the world right now. It's to do with tolerance and understanding other people." Martland has directed many composition projects in schools both at home and abroad and he initiated and ran for many years Strike Out, his own annual composition course for school children.
His music is published by Schott Music
Schott Music
Schott Music is one of the oldest German music publishers. It is also one of the largest music publishing houses in Europe and is currently the second oldest music publishing house. The company headquarters of Schott Music was founded by Bernhard Schott in Mainz, Germany in 1770.Established in...
.
Works
- 1982 - Duo, trumpet and piano
- 1982 - Kgakala, for solo piano
- 1983 - Babi Yar, Large orchestra in 3 groups
- 1984 - lotta continua, for orchestra and jazz orchestra
- 1984 - Orc for horn and small orchestra
- 1985 - American Invention, 13 players in 3 groups
- 1985 - Remix, ensemble
- 1985 - Remembering Lennon
- 1986 - Shoulder to Shoulder, wind ensemble
- 1986 - Dividing the Lines, for brass band
- 1986 - Big Mac I
- 1987 - Drill, for two pianos
- 1987 - Big Mac II, for 9 players
- 1988 - Glad Day (3 songs) for voice and 14 players
- 1989 - Birthday Hocket, two pianos
- 1989 - Principia, ensemble
- 1989 - Skywalk, for unaccompanied chorus (SSATB)
- 1990 - Crossing the Border, string ensemble
- 1991 - Wolfgang, arrangements of Mozart for wind octet
- 1991 - Perfect Act
- 1992 - Patrol, string quartet
- 1992 - Toccata and Fugue, BWV 565, string quartet (J S Bach, arr Martland)
- 1992 - Full Fathom Five, brass quintet
- 1993 - Dance Works, two pianos (arrangement of work for ensemble)
- 1994 - Mr Anderson's Pavane, for 10 players
- 1995 - Beat the Retreat, 11 players
- 1995 - Horses of Instruction, for 11 players
- 1996 - Kick, for 11 players
- 1996 - Thistle of Scotland for 10 players
- 1997 - Eternal Delight, for 11 players
- 1997 - Street Songs, marimba and vocal ensemble
- 1997 - Jenny Jones, unaccompanied chorus (SSAATTBB)- part of Street Songs
- 1997 - Summer Rounds, unaccompanied chorus (SSAATTBB)
- 1997 - Three Carols, for unaccompanied chorus
- 1997 - Shepard's Song, for unaccompanied chorus
- 1998 - Hard Times, soloists and string ensemble
- 1998 - Terminal for 5 players
- 1998 - Fantazia 6, saxophone quartet (Henry Purcell, arr Martland)
- 1998 - Fantazia 7, trombone quartet (Henry Purcell, arr Martland)
- 1998 - Mr. Anderson's Pavane, two pianos (arrangement of work for ensemble)
- 1999 - Step by Step, for wind octet
- 1999 - Fairest Isle, for counter-tenor and wind octet (arrangements or Purcell)
- 2003 - Plaint, for string ensemble
- 2005 - Tiger Dancing, for string ensemble
- 2007 - Eternity's Sunrise, for string ensemble
- 2007 - Reveille, for string ensemble
- 2007-08 - Starry Night for marimba and string quartet
Discography
- 1989 - Babi Yar/Drill (Factory Classical)
- 1990 - Orkest de Volharding. Shoulder to Shoulder (Attacca)
- 1990 - Glad Day [featuring Sarah Jane Morris]. (Factory)
- 1992 - Crossing the Border (Factory)
- 1992 - Wolfgang (Factory)
- 1994 - Patrol (Catalyst)
- 1995 - The Factory Masters (Catalyst - reissue of Babi Yar/Drill & Crossing the Border)
- 1998 - The King's Singers and Evelyn Glennie. The Street Songs (RCA Victor Red Seal)
- 2001 - Horses Of Instruction (Black Box)
- 2002 - Onyx Brass - Pavanes Fantasias Variations. Mr. Steve Martland after Mr. Henry Purcell: one note fantasy... (Meridian)
- 2007 - Wallace Collection - Hammered Brass. Full Fathom Five (Linn)
- 2009 - Britten SinfoniaBritten SinfoniaBritten Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra ensemble based in Cambridge, UK. It was created in 1992, following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognised the need for an orchestra in the East of England. It is a flexible ensemble composed of...
001 - Tiger Dancing {Songs of the Sky - Signum Classics}
External links
- Steve Martland page from Schott site
- Steve Martland page from Music on the Edge site
Listenings
- Steve Martland audio on MySpace
- Dance Works in the Sound Library of the publisher Schott Music
- Remix in the Sound Library of the publisher Schott Music