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This year has seen the fruition of a number of ongoing musical projects, culminating in December 2007 with the composer's signing for the world-renowned publishers Novello and Co. (see photo album). Arrangements are now in place for the publication of all Venables' songs and vocal music. Such has been the demand that his 'Song Album' (high voice) is now in its second printing - the album for baritone will be available in January. In addition, it is hoped that the full score of his song cycle 'Songs of Eternity and Sorrow Op. 36' will be on sale at the end of February. Novello and Co have also produced an informative and up to date biography together with a complete list of all currently available music scores on their website at www.chesternovello.com.
In conjunction with the publication of the score of Songs of Eternity and Sorrow, the acclaimed young tenor, Andrew Kennedy, together with the Dante String Quartet and pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips have recorded the cycle, and this new recording has just been released with outstanding reviews (see reviews). The CD is entitled 'On Wenlock Edge', and in addition to the famous Vaughan Williams cycle, the recording also includes Ivor Gurney's 'Ludlow and Teme'. This compact disc in available on the Signum Classics label (SIGCD112) and can be bought online at Presto Classical and Amazon.
During the summer of 2007, Ian Venables spent a month in the USA. While in San Francisco he gave an interview for the San Francisco Chronicle and a podcast that featured his Elegy for 'Cello and Piano Op. 2. The cellist was Nathan Chan, a 13 year-old child prodigy who together with the pianist Graham Lloyd gave a passionate and moving performance of this early work. So successful was the partnership that this recording was uploaded onto Youtube where it has since received much critical acclaim and world-wide attention.
In the autumn of 2007, Cambridge University held its first conference to the poet and composer Ivor Gurney. As Chairman of the Ivor Gurney Society, Ian Venables was asked to give a paper on the subject of Gurney's unpublished songs. His recent research into these songs led him to reconstruct a performing version of Gurney's setting of Hilaire Belloc's 'Tarantella' for tenor and piano. This was the focus of his paper and Gurney's setting was subsequently given its first performance in a concert to mark the end of the conference by the tenor Andrew Kennedy and pianist Joseph Middleton. This recital also included a performance of the composer's own setting of Gurney's war sonnet 'Pain'.
2007 also saw a number of high profile performances of the composer's works that included two performances of his String Quartet Op. 32 by the Dante Quartet; a performance of his song cycle Songs of Eternity and Sorrow Op. 36 with Andrew Kennedy and the Sacconi String quartet, together with solo songs featured in recitals by Roderick Williams, William Coleman and Nathan Vale.
Although the composer is now recovering well from his recent illness he has through necessity had to curtail some of his composing and so regretfully has not been able to take on any new commissions. However, 2008 will be dominated by a major new work written especially for Andrew Kennedy and the soprano Elizabeth Watts.This work will be based upon the poem, 'Remember This' by the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion (more news to follow).