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"I sing as I'm driving along"
Barry has worked as a secondary school teacher, and a 'Musician in the Community' Senior Lecturer and Artist in residence. He is a pianist/performer with the Cornelius Cardew Ensemble, 50p worth of the Pound Shop Boys and works Europe wide as a freelance composer/animateur. Barry has also written a book of composition projects for GCSE - 'The GCSE Composition Course'.
'Town and Country' written by Barry for the Proms 2001, saw children from Cumbria and Stockport performing alongside the BBC Philharmonic. In addition to his work for the BBC Philharmonic, he has directed education and community projects for the Northern Sinfonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Manchester Camerata and NOEL, as well as four tutor residencies for the COMA Summer School. Barry has worked with musicians from some of these orchestras to help develop their animateur skills for education and community work. His 'Supermarket Symphony' involving community groups and 20 members of the BBC Philharmonic was premiered to great acclaim in May 2003.
In May 2004, Barry was one of 12 UK professionals working in the field of music education/community, to be invited to a British Council Conference on good practice and innovation in orchestra/opera education at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
Meet The Composer
Year 7 students from Holmfirth High School talked to Barry when they were learning his song.
What inspires you to write? More often than not, pictures and poems.
Do you do other things than composing? I give workshops ... I perform ... I play and I sing ... (chuckling) sometimes I play in a bar!
How long does it take you to write a song? Weeks! I sing as I'm driving along, thinking about it.
What's your favourite picture by Escher? It's called 'Metamorphoses' - it's like a tapestry. If you look at it, it gradually changes like a piece of music.
Have you always wanted to be a composer? I always was a composer. When I was little my nana had a harmonium and I used sit at it and just play sounds, and she would say 'make a story of it' and I did!
Why do you have chants in the song? I heard the chants in the back of my head as I was writing the long phrases.
What are you writing at the moment? I've just finished an opera to be performed outdoors in which three buildings come to life and chat to each other ... now I'm writing a new piece for the BBC Philharmonic for audience, orchestra and live magician! |
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