The Society commissions new music for recorder consorts and ensembles.

2018 Commission

The 2018 Commission is A Little Book of Proverbs, by David Knotts. In eight movements, from not letting cats out of bags, chasing wild geese to red herrings, it uses the full range of recorders. Each movement adds one more player so the first movement is for solo tenor, then the second for duet etc until the last movement is for eight.
A Little Book of Proverbs – Poster
Zero Gravity are giving the first performance at Corpus Christi Chapel, Cambridge on Sunday 24th June at 3pm.  Further details on the Concerts page.

2014 Commission

The 2014 commission is Quattuor Musicae, by Paul Max Edlin. Scored for treble, 2 tenors, bass, great and contra, this has four movements based on historical styles: In Nomine, Pavan, Aria and Hocket. You can watch extracts from the first performance, which was given by Zero Gravity on July 20th 2014.

You can download the score and parts of Quattuor Musicae here.

2012 Commission

In 2012, to celebrate the Society’s 75th birthday, Jonathan Dove wrote ‘Light-dance’ for recorder octet: sopranino, 2 x descants, treble, tenor, bass, great bass, contra bass.  The first performance was given in November 2012 by Zero Gravity in The Fitzwilliam College Auditorium, Cambridge.  The work is published by Peters Ed 72408

You can listen to Zero Gravity playing Light-dance here. The sound engineer was Matt Moore.

2011 Commissions

The 2011 SRP commission was divided between two young composers, both reading for a  Masters in Music. James Welland, aged 23, is at Cambridge and Dominic Irving, aged 24 is at Bristol.  James’ Lament is in 7 parts and Dominic’s Valse Chromatique is in 5. 

The music of Lament and Valse Chromatique is available for download here.

Here are videos of first performances  

Lament by James Welland

Valse Chromatique by Dominic Irving

2010 Commission

Thaw, a quartet by Jim Sutherland, was first performed at the National Festival in Felixstowe Suffolk, May 8th 2010.

Jim Sutherland is a Scottish composer, musician and producer. He has composed for film, television and  large-scale events with La Banda Europa, the True North Orchestra and Cold Weather Dancing.

Thaw is available for download here.

You can listen to Zero Gravity performing Thaw here. The sound engineer was Matt Moore.
There is a remixed version called Thawed Out, produced by Evelyn Nallen & Matt Moore, here.

2007 Commission

To encourage composers to write for recorder ensembles the Committee of the Society decided some time ago to seek a composer willing to write a commissioned piece. In 2007, through the good offices of Evelyn Nallen, Gavin Bryars agreed to write such a piece. The 6-part piece, called A Family Likeness, was finished in December 2008.

It received its world premier performance shortly afterwards by the group Zero Gravity, led by Evelyn Nallen, at a venue in Cambridge. You can hear, and watch, the performance on Youtube. The sheet music is available from Schotts in score (Schotts Ed 13240) and in parts (Ed 13240-10) www.schott-music.com or Email

The following pieces were written specifically for the National SRP Festivals which are held annually.  The first performances are given by  large ensembles in massed playing sessions, but most of this repertoire is also suitable for one-to-a-part playing.

There are recordings of  some of the pieces.

Year Branch Title Composer Publisher Further Information
2024 Monmouth

Cynulliad Trefynwy /

Monmouth Gathering

John Hawkes Peacock Press P842 Recorder Music Mail
2023 Edinburgh Journey to Skye Anne Martin

Peacock Press P799

Recorder Music Mail
2022 Suffolk Septet for Recorders Stephen Watkins

Peacock Press

P810

Recorder Music Mail
2021 On-line Bach Magnificat arr. Helen Hooker Helen Hooker visit website
2019 Durham Dunholm Suite Rosemary Robinson May Hill MHE 10119
2018 Wessex The Dream-Country Steve Marshall May Hill Edition MHE10118
2017 Cambridge Quercus Quodlibet David Gordon Hawthorns Music  
2016 Lincolnshire Joyride Nicholas Wynne Download Score Exchange
The Imps of Lincoln Paul Richards Willobie Press WPL24 Willobie Press
2015 South Staffs Wolf Suite Sasha Johnson Manning Hawthorns Music RO 06 Hawthorns Music
‘Twixt Trent and Severn Alyson Lewin Hawthorns Music RO 05 Hawthorns Music
2014 Cornwall Keskan II Russell Pascoe   Available from Sarah Whomersley
Also available are Pascoe’s Suite for Recorders and Sonatina
2013 Ireland Heading West Rhona Clarke Contemporary Music Centre Ireland Contemporary Music Centre Ireland
2012 Surrey Surrey Leaves Anne Martin Peacock Press P435 Recorder Music Mail
Flow
Video
Eileen Silcocks Peacock Press P437 Recorder Music Mail
2011 Somerset Gorged On Cheddar Steve Marshall May Hill Edition May Hill Edition
2010 Felixstowe, Suffolk North Sea Sketches
Recordings:
Mvt 1
Mvt 2
Mvt 3
Alan Bullard Peacock Press P365 Recorder Music Mail
2009 Cleveland Ambion Hill
Recording
Rosemary Robinson May Hill Edition May Hill Edition
Festivo
Recording
Brian Bonsor   Recorder Music Mail
2008 Kent and
Weald of Kent
Mirror Ball Andrew Challinger Montem Music Montem Music
2007 York Guildhall   Penelope Walcott    
2006 Cumbria The Cumbrian Sartor Berry Oriel Library (OL 251) Recorder Music Mail
2005 Essex All the Birds of the Air Bruce Pennick    
2004 Wessex Slavonic Dance Op 46 No 4 (Dvorak) Arranged by Helen Hooker Oriel Library (OL248) Recorder Music Mail
2003 Manchester Manchester Welcome Colin Touchin Oriel Library (OL239) Recorder Music Mail
EforanF Dennis Bamforth Hawthorns RB25 Hawthorns Music
2002 Guildford Suite for Recorders Walton arr Bloodworth Oriel Library  
2001 Bristol & Bath West Country Suite Eileen Silcocks Oriel Library (OL234) Recorder Music Mail
2000 Suffolk Samburu Samba Lyndon Hilling Oriel Library (OL228) Recorder Music Mail
1999 York Guildhall Yorkshire Relish David Grosvenor White Rose  
1998 Cornwall Pasticcio della Cornovaglia Paul Clark Clark Collection (CC42) Recorder Music Mail
1997 St Albans Festoons Paul Clark Clark Collection (CC41) Recorder Music Mail
1996 Newcastle Bonny Tyneside Suite Paul Clark Oriel Library (OL 215) Recorder Music Mail
1995 Haslemere        
1994 Aberdeen        
1993 Winchester        
1992 Cambridge        
1991 South Staffs Staffordshire Festival Colin Touchin Hawthorns Music CO08 Hawthorns Music
1990 Suffolk A Bouquet of Fancies Andrew Charlton Oriel Library (OL 164) Recorder Music Mail
Last updated 26 March 2024