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Patrick B. C. Larley
Born1951
Frodsham, England
Known forComposer,
Musician (English choral music)

Patrick Larley (born 1951) is a British composer.

Biography

He was born in Frodsham, Cheshire, England and lived at Fearnhead in Warrington. Patrick is the third of the four children of Ian A. and Helen Dunsmuir/Larley:[1]

Larley studied organ and singing at the Royal Manchester College of Music and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He pursued a career in cathedral music, holding posts of Vicar Choral in Wells Cathedral and then becoming Sub-Organist in St Asaph Cathedral, moving on to become Master of Choristers at Grimsby Minster and Director of Music at St James’ Choir School, Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire. After this he became Director of Music in Ellesmere College in Shropshire.

He is now[when?] a freelance composer, conductor, harpsichordist and organist, and is also Musical Director of Ludlow Choral Society in Shropshire and Birmingham Festival Choral Society, and formerly directed Nantwich Choral Society in Cheshire. He has founded and directs a number of vocal ensembles including Gallery Players and Chudleigh’s Company. He has given recitals in cathedrals and churches throughout Britain and has toured France, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Italy and Ireland as a conductor and organist.

Music

Much of Larley's output has been sacred choral music, ranging from short unaccompanied gems such as the well-known A Girl for the Blue through to full-scale works for choir, soloists and orchestra such as his Mass of a Thousand Ages written for the new millennium and first performed in April 2000. His musical style is fresh, tonal and approachable, with soft dissonances, soaring melodies and lilting syncopation, blending seamlessly his strong ecclesiastical roots in plainchant and monastic liturgy with the simplicity of a Celtic folk-like idiom. Reviewers and commentators have likened his musical style at various times to those of Gerald Finzi, William Mathias, John Rutter, Frederick Delius and Leonard Bernstein.

A number of his choral works have been recorded on CD, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and performed widely in the UK and in America.

Works

His works include:

Choir and orchestra

'In Praise of Music' for Chorus, Children's Choir, Soprano and Mezzo soloists, Orchestra (48')

'The Gentle Earth of Wales' for Chorus, Children's Choir, Soprano and Baritone soloists, Orchestra (50')

The Birmingham Spirituals for Chorus, Semi-chorus, strings, 2 sax, flute, steel pans, piano, perc.

Unaccompanied voices

'The Salutation' SATB (6')

Choir and organ

Orchestral

Instrumental

Solo voice

Recordings

Larley's music is available on a number of CDs including:

References

  1. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
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