Michael Whytock - Composer/Musician (The Mandrake)
'The pieces played to accompany this gig are all
Renaissance/Baroque at the request of the performer who aims to look at
the popular music of the day.
I have tried to get as many styles into the pieces as possible
although, this was a hard task as there are so many different types of
Baroque music to choose from.
One of the main focuses of Baroque music was improvisation. Most of the
famous composers improvised pieces sat the Harpsichord, and that is
what I intended to convey from these compositions.
They are in no way polished compositions, but are more improvisatory in
style which I think will suit the act well. By writing in an
improvasatory style I hope to create a sense of freedom that most
compositions lack; often pieces tend to be too metronomical and rigid.
As a composer and musician, I am a fan of music from the past. I
believe that as a composer, one needs to look to the past for ideas as
well as look to the future and try and create new ideas and forms not
yet explored.
I am currently majoring in composition at the University of Chichester
where I am studying for a BA hons. I hope to study composition at a
much higher level with the hope of teaching it in schools.
Aside of composition I play the piano, organ and harpsichord and give
regular solo recitals as well as concerts with various
groups/orchestras.'
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