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
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 |
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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 |