In all, twenty three first performances in Walthamstow, including five string quartets, two string trios, a wind quintet and a piano trio.
Here’s a list for all those who played them :
Premieres commissioned
by Music in The Village
2003-4 John Webb Surge
Harpsichord solo
Commissioned by Trevor Pinnock with financial assistance from the Britten-Pears Foundation and Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust. This premiére at our very first concert inspired me to institute an annual commissioning policy.
2004-5 Roderick Williams Enough Baroque oboe solo - prelude to Ich Habe Genug.
Commissioned for Gail Hennessy by Peter McCarthy with financial assistance from the Britten-Pears Foundation.
During this season we started the audience collection for the annual new commission.
2005-6 Jonathan Rathbone More Fools than Wise String quartet
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village with financial assistance from the Britten-Pears Foundation and Waltham Forest Arts Council
2006-7 Nicholas Sackman Before the Rainbow
Quintet - violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village with financial assistance from the Britten-Pears Foundation and the Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust.
I finally woke up to the fact that only male composers had been represented so far!
2007-8 Rhian Samuel A River (text Anne Stevenson)
Soprano, baroque oboe, viola da gamba, harpsichord
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village with financial assistance from the Britten-Pears Foundation.
2008-9 Simon Speare Escape
Wind quintet
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village with financial assistance from Apex Arts (Arts Council for Waltham Forest).
2009-10 Thea Musgrave Snow (text Isaac Rosenberg)
Soprano, oboe d'amore, viola da gamba
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village with financial assistance from the Britten-Pears Foundation.
2010-11 Cecilia McDowall Time between Tides * String trio
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village.
2011-12 Jennifer Fowler Uncoiling *
Oboe solo
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village.
2012-13 Liz Johnson Tide Purl *
String quartet
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village.
2013-14 Fabian Watkinson Blue remembered hills *
Piano trio
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village.
2014-15 Rachel Stott. The Observation of suspended Objects *
String trio
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village.
2015-16 Vasiliki Legaki The Wind on the Moon * Guitar solo - in scordatura
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village
2016-17 Tom Randle Rhyme Slayeth Shame * (Text William Morris) High voice, piano & string quartet
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village
2017-18 Satoko Doi-Luck Fantasy * Baroque oboe and string quartet
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village
2018-19 Melinda Maxwell Ancestral Traces *
Baroque oboe , harpsichord & violone
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village
During this season the audience collection was not enough to commission a new piece the following year, so I resolved to save up over two years instead
2019-20 Peter McCarthy Berry Hill
String quartet
I wrote this piece as a gift to Music in the Village, in memory of my Scots friend Iain McGillivray. Both of Iain’s daughters played in our concerts.
For our last audience commission, I asked the first composer to write a piece especially for our concerts, to write the last one, too.
2020-21 Roderick Williams Siciliana for Gail *
Baroque oboe, violin, violin (or viola), cello & optional second bass.
Commissioned by the audience of Music in the Village
Though this season sees the end of our annual commissioning plan, it’s not impossible incidental first performances may still arise.
We did have some extra first performances
2010-11 Peter McCarthy A distant kiss String quartet
A gift to Lucy Russell of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet - not written for first performance in this series.
2013-14 Jacques Cohen Nun danket alle Gott
String quartet
Commissioned by Paul and David Delve to celebrate the life of Joan Trethewy.
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2023 Peter McCarthy Athas
String quartet
A gift to Sarah MacMahon of the Callino Quartet (Eire)
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2025 Ng Yu Hng Commentary on Beethoven's Drei Equali
For sackbut quartet
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2025 Martin Gaughan Chorus
for sackbut trio
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At our very first concert, Trevor Pinnock had commissioned a new piece (with financial assistance from the Britten-Pears Foundation & Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust); he played it in our series first.
Trevor Pinnock harpsichord
Fitzwilliam String Quartet (6)
Natalie Clifton-Griffith soprano
Aris Wind Quintet, Lendvai String Trio
Florin String Trio, Tom Randle tenor
Catherine Martin violin (2)
Joanne Miller viola (2)
Pawel Siwczak harpsichord
Jacob Garside cello, Gail Hennessy baroque oboe (6)
Rautio Piano Trio (2)
Reiko Ichise viola da gamba (2)
Gillian Keith soprano, Marios Agiros modern oboe
Xuefei Yang guitar, Anna Tilbrook piano
John Crockatt violin, Jonathan Rees cello
Karin Björk violin, Peter McCarthy violone (2)
Emily White sackbut, Helena Keiser sackbut
Samuel Barber sackbut, George Meeks sackbut
Ten pieces were commissioned solely with funds raised by the audience, an achievement to be proud of.
