Michael John Norris

Michael John Norris (Middlesex, 1934) is een Brits-Schots componist en fagottist.

Career

Norris studied music theory, bassoon and composition in the Trinity College of Music in London and the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1962 he moved to Scotland, to play bassoon with the BBC Scottish Variety Orchestra 1962-66, and with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 1966-86. He resumed studies at the University of Glasgow in 1986, graduating with B.Mus. in 1990. He accepted an invitation to join the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama academic staff to teach music theory 1990-99. As a composer he has written works for different genres, including youth opera, orchestra, concert wind-band and brass band, vocal music, chamber and electronic music.

Compositions

Works with orchestra

1964 Irish Holiday, for light orchestra
1982 Concertino, for bassoon and string orchestra
1983 Saturday Suite, for youth orchestra
1983 Waltz, for string orchestra
1990 Concertino, for harpsichord and string orchestra
1993 Carousel, for chamber orchestra
2007 Thyme, for symphony orchestra

Works for concert wind-band & brassband

1976 Diversions, for brassband
1981 Spring Suite, for concert wind-band
1985 Sombrero, for solo piccolo trumpet & brassband
1987 Harlech Suite, for brassband

Music Theatre

Operas

Completed in	Title	records	première	libretto
1995	Tam O' Shanter : A Comedy Drama		18 april 1986, Ayr, Gaiety Theatre	Robert Burns

Completed in	Title	records	première	libretto
1999	Sir Patrick Spens : a Scottish Tragedy		22 april 1999, Ayr, Gaiety Theatre	Traditional Ballad

Vocal music

Works for choir

1989 Beastly Songs, for children's choir, 2 violins, viola, cello, piano and percussion - text: Hilaire Belloc
1997 Celebrating Music, for chorus and orchestra - text: Lisa Hendry
1997 The Nutcracker And The Sugar Tongs, for children's choir and piano - text: Edward Lear

Songs

1988 Five Nonsense Songs, for soprano (or tenor) and piano - text: Lio Moscardini
1989 Two Ballads, for soprano, clarinet and piano - text: William Soutar

Chamber Music

1979 rev.2003 Three Bagatelles, for four bassoons and harpsichord
1980 Three Dances, for three bassoons
1. Waltz^[1]
2. Tango^[2]
3. Gallop^[3]
1980 Three More Dances, for three bassoons
1981 A Christmas Carillon, for flute, clarinet and piano
1981 Pros And Cons, for piccolo and bassoon
1982 Bass Motives, for three double basses
1982 Viol Motives, for three cellos
1983 Requiem For Brass, for brass quintet (2 trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba)
1984 Suite Jazzmin, for saxophone quartet
1987 Introduction and Allegro,for cor anglais and piano
1989 Suite Assortment, for wind quartet (flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon)
1989 Gamex, for ensemble
1992 Dulcian Suite, for three bassoons and contra bassoon
2000 Persephone, for flute quartet (2 flutes, alto flute and bass flute)
2003 Bagatelle Blues, for three double basses
2005 Six Bagatelles, for three bassoons
2010 Kaleidoscope, for viola and piano

Works for organ

1988 Guided Tour

Works for piano

1997 Six Pieces, for piano

Electronic music

1989 PVG Bach - Variations, on tape

Media

Bibliografie

Wolfgang Suppan, Armin Suppan: Das Neue Lexikon des Blasmusikwesens, 4. Auflage, Freiburg-Tiengen, Blasmusikverlag Schulz GmbH, 1994, ISBN 3-923058-07-1

[1] Three Dances - deel 1: "Waltz" door University of Iowa Graduate Bassoon Trio

[2] Three Dances - deel 2: "Tango" door University of Iowa Graduate Bassoon Trio

[3] Three Dances - deel 3: "Gallop" door University of Iowa Graduate Bassoon Trio

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