NEIL MARCH
Neil March was born in Hemel Hempstead in 1963 to Welsh and English parents.
Following a 20 year career in Rock, Soul and related music March returned to his classical roots. Since then he has studied with a number of leading composers including Roger Redgate, Dmitri Smirnov, David Sutton-Anderson and Benjamin Rous. He has a masters degree in composition from Goldsmiths University.
March composes in a contemporary style that brings together a distinct harmonic language with his own new techniques including his two types of Polyfluidity through which he represents the alienated state of the individual in Bourgeois society through the detached non-referential behaviour of the instrumental parts in the ensemble. In the orchestral work Construction, he has developed a two-movement form based on Summary and Elaboration, building on the form deployed in previous works such as 12, Piano Sonata No 1 and 24 Hours. In the Summary the music is presented as a series of short soundbites which March argues are reflective of modern communications and media. These contrasting sections are subsequently developed in greater detail in the Elaboration. One aspect of this form is that an artist/ensemble can choose only to perform the Summary or to follow it with the more detailed Elaboration.
March is becoming established as an important voice in new music. His works have drawn performances across the world, a trend that seems set to continue and grow as his music becomes more widely played. He was also invited to take part in the Park Lane Group Young Composers Symporium at the Royal Festival Hall in November 2009 where his music received high praise from Timothy Salter, Paul Paterson and Giles Easterbrook. He has also presented his ideas and music to a range of audiences including students at Cambridge and Middlesex Universities.
Away from music March is a lifelong and active supporter of Watford Football Club.
Below is a list of works he has composed for public performances including some downloadable scores:
Contemplations on an untitled work of Andreas Schulze
performed by Laura Jay (Flute) & Philip Lawton (Piano) @ Goldsmiths University, London
Download copy of score: Contemplationson3piecesofart-I.Untit.pdf
12 (String Quartet) performed by students of Moscow Conservatory, Russia
Piano Sonata No 1
performed by Coreen Morsink @ concerts in Athens (Greece), Leeds and London
Download copy of score: PianoSonataNo1.pdf
Momenta (for solo Piano)
performed by Emma Firth @ concerts/recitals in London and Colchester
Download copy of score: Momenta.pdf
Heptagon
performed by Goldsmiths Flute Quartet @ Pure Gold Festival, London
The Raven
performed by Cn Lester (Soprano) & Philip Lawton (Piano) @ Goldsmiths University, London
Download copy of score: TheRaven.pdf
24 Hours
performed by students of University of Tallinn, Estonia
Download copy of score: TwentyFourHours.pdf
Fluctuation: Graduation: Tansformation
Organ work provisionally to be performed, details to be announced
Motion: Stasis: Motion
Viola, Cello and Piano Trio performed by Benedict Taylor(Vla), Alex Eichenberger (Cllo) & Carla Pirez (Pno) @ Deptford Town Hall, London
Fanfare (for Wind Quartet)
Performed by Tim Phillips (Clnt), Valentina Brown (Alt.Sx), Alex Herbert (Tpt) & Sam Ricketts (Trmbne) @ Deptford Town Hall, London
Diversions
Solo piano piece performed by Marilyn Wyers @ various venues including University of Lebanon
As the facts emerge
Chamber work performed by the Nomos Project @ Goldsmiths University
No Surrender
Solo piano work performed by Marilyn Wyers @ Stoke Newington Arts Festival
Into the night
Composed for the Birth of Yurobeat
Entanglement
Composed for the Arditti Competition @ Kingston University
Construction
Orchestral work showcasing large form version of Soundbite theory
Snapshots
Chamber work commissioned by the Nomos Project