9/6/2015

PaulPattersonBiographyUniversalEdition

UniversalEditionPaulPattersonBiography

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PaulPatterson
Biography

PaulPattersonwasborninChesterfieldin1947,butgrewupinExeter.Helearntthetromboneatschool,andbecamea
memberofseverallocalbandsandorchestras.AtseventeenhegainedaplaceattheRoyalAcademyofMusic,havingjust
startedtocomposehisownmusic.Early,andsustained,musicalinfluencesonPatterson'sworkweretherefined,neoclassic
linesofStravinskyandHindemithandBartok'smotivicstructures.Hisfirsttwopublishedcompositionswereprophetic.Humour
surfacedfirst,inhisOpus1,hisDartingtonSummerSchoolsettingofHilaireBelloc'sfamousCautionaryTale,Rebecca(1966),
whichcanbeseenasasatireonmanyoftheavantgardealeatorictechniquesoftheday.Opus2,awindquintetwrittenforthe
NashEnsembleayearlater,showshisformativeinfluencesseedingapersonalcompositionalstyle,intheshapeofthedancing
vitalityofirregularrhythmicpatterns,acontemplativeslowmovementandorganicgrowthwithinanatonal,contrapuntal
texture.
Humoursurfacesmanytimesinlaterworks,suchasComedyforFiveWindsOp.14(1972)fortheVegaWindQuintet,andthe
moreexperimentalsoundworldofTimePieceOp.16,writtenin1973fortheKing'sSingers.Formany,humouristhe
introductiontoPatterson'smusicbut,toappreciateotheraspects,ithelpstoknowthathelearnedtosailinhisearlyteens,and
itbecameanimportantpartofhislife.Pattersonsabilitytowriteextendedmelodiclinesisevidencedbytheslowcentral
movementofDuologueOp.49(1984)foroboeandpiano,forexample,butthewritersuggeststhathismusicsmarked
characteristicofmultilayeredcounterpointreflectsthecurrents,tides,waves,waveletsandiridescentsprayofthesea.Indeed,
theformandcolourfulorchestrationofWhiteShadowsontheDarkHorizonOp.67(1988),writtenfortheKentCountyYouth
Orchestra,overtlyexploitsthatrelationship.
Patterson'sstudentdaysendedwithfurtherstudywithRichardRodneyBennett,andheremainedattheRoyalAcademyas
MansonFellowandteacherofcomposition.ItwasthenhediscoveredthePolishcomposersLutoslawskiandPenderecki.Ashe
adoptedtheirnewnotationsymbols,andmadethefirstofmanyvisitstoPoland,anenhancedexpressivenesssurfacedinhis
music,reachingnewheightsintheexcoriatingsoundsofVoicesofSleep,Op.40,performedatthePromsin1981.Yetmany
musiciansatthattimefoundthenewnotationdifficult,soPattersonrevertedalmostentirelytoconventionalnotation,especially
forthemajorchoralworksMassoftheSeaOp.47(1983),StabatMaterOp.57(1986),TeDeumOp.65(1988),Magnificat
Op.75(1994)andtheMillenniumMassOp.85(1999)notforgettingtheexquisiteacapellaMissaBrevisOp.54of1985.
1985wastheyearPattersonwasappointedHeadofCompositionattheAcademyand,inthepreviousyear,hehadinitiatedthe
pioneeringseriesofannualComposerFestivals,bringingsuchinternationalcomposersasLutoslawski,Tippett,Penderecki,Berio
andmanyothersforaweekofconcertsandworkwiththestudents.However,hispracticalandemotionalinvolvementinPoland
anditsmusiccouldnotbedenied,anditwasexpressedwithrenewedintensityintheconventionallynotatedLuslawice
VariationsOp.50,forsoloviolin.Undercurrentsoftensionandpoignancy,especiallyintheslowmovementsofhisworks,have
alwaysbeenthereforexampleintheConcertoforOrchestraOp45,writtenfortheCBSOin1981,andinthepoisedmelodicline
oftheslowmovementoftheViolinConcertoOp.72(1992),whileintheClarinetConcertoOp.34(1976)itistherethroughout.
Bynow,itwasevidentthatPaulPattersonhadanenviableabilitytowriteinanystyleorgenre.Amonghisworksnotmentioned
sofaronefindsseveralforelectronictapeandvariouscombinationsofinstruments,filmandTVmusic,worksforsoloharpand
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TheSorriestCowofCapricornOp.63(1987)asongcycleforsopranoandpianosharplywittyanddarklycolouredtosuit
thegrimundertonesofwriterMervynPeakesfantasyworld.Severalprestigiouscommissionswerecominghisway,includingthe
phenomenallysuccessfulLittleRedRidingHoodOp.73,commissionedbytheRoaldDahlFoundationin1992,whichhas
travelledtheworldandwhichhehassincearrangedfornumerouscombinationsofinstruments.TheRoyalEurostarOp.76for
largebrassensembleandpercussion,wascommissionedfortheStateOpeningoftheChannelTunnelin1994whileHells
AngelsOp.81(1998)commissionedbytheCrouchEndFestivalChorus,whichPattersonscoredforsopranosolo,chorus,
amplifiedstringquartetandpercussion,inspiredhimtoreenterthemusicalunderworldalreadyinhabitedbyVoicesofSleep
andgivehisimaginationfullflight.
Pattersonhaswritteneightvariedandsignificantworksfororgantheyaresignpoststohiscompositionaldevelopment,being
commissionedatregularintervalsbetween1969(JubilateOp.5)and2007(BrumbaOp.100).Oftheeight,GamesOp.37,
commissionedforthefinalsoftheImprovisationContestofthe1977St.AlbansInternationalFestival,standsunique.Its
impressive18pagegraphicscoreencouragesamodernformofdirectedimprovisation,basedaroundMessiaenicharmoniesand
Polishstylecontrolledaleatoricism.
In2005PattersoncomposedTheFifthContinent:aGiftfromtheSeaOp.96toBenKayespoemabouttheRomneyMarsh,for
countertenor(ormezzosoprano)solo,chorus,brassensembleandorgan.In2010hewasinvitedtoChinatogivelecturesand
tohearperformancesofhisPhoenixConcertoOp.102foroboeandstringorchestra(2009),andin2012hewenttoThailandfor
theworldpremireofhislatestworkforharp,LizardsOp.111,commissionedforthesecondThailandInternationalHarp
FestivalandYouthCompetition.ManyofPattersonscompositionshavebeencomposedfor,orarechosenas,competitionset
piecessuchasSpidersOp.48(1983)forsoloharpandTidesofManananOp.64(1987)forsoloviola.AllPattersonsconcerti
arescoredforstringsonlyandthereisnowtheCelloConcertoOp.90(2002),AllusionsOp.99(2006)fortwoviolinsandaViola
ConcertoOp.101(2009)whilealsopremiredinthatyearwasAvianArabesquesOp.106forharpensemble.
PattersonisMansonProfessorandaFellowoftheRoyalAcademyofMusic,FellowoftheRoyalCollegeofMusic,Hon.Fellowof
theLondonCollegeofMusic,FellowoftheRoyalSocietyofArts,VisitingProfessorattheRoyalNorthernCollegeofMusic,
CanterburyChristChurchUniversityandtheRoyalMarinesschoolofMusicatPortsmouth.In1987hereceivedtheMedalof
HonourfromthePolishMinistryofCulturein1996thePerformingRightsSocietyandtheRoyalPhilharmonicSocietyawarded
himtheLeslieBooseyAwardforoutstandingservicestocontemporarymusic,andin2009hewasgiventhePolishGoldMedal
forpromotingPolishmusic.
Pattersonsreputationissecureasoneofthemostversatile,successfulandinternationallyrespectedBritishcomposersofhis
generation.CommissionsincludetheBBC,RPO,LPO,CBSO,NetherlandsResidenteOrchestra,ZurichChamberOrchestra,Basel
SymphonyOrchestra,LondonSinfonietta,AcademyofSt.MartinsintheFields,theNashEnsemble,LondonMozartPlayers,
OrchestraofSt.JohnsSmithSquare,EnglishChamberOrchestra,theBachChoirandtheKingsSingersperformanceshave
takenplaceinmanyprestigiousvenuessuchastheLincolnCentre,CarnegieHall,AmsterdamConcertgebouwandChristChurch
Cathedral,NewZealand.Recordingsinclude:EMI,Hyperion,ChampsHill,Dutton,ASV,Polyphonic,Priory,Pearl,Phillipsand
SFZMusic.
Oneofthemostfrequentlyperformedcontemporarycomposers,PaulPattersonsworkscertainlyincludethoseincuttingedge
stylesoftheavantgarde,buthismusicneveralienatesrather,itdrawsbothaudiencesandperformersintocontemplate,and
rejoicein,thecomplexspiritofourtime.
Dr.RosemaryDunn.November2012

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