HISTORY OF THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COMPOSERS ASSOCIATION;

A Personal Perspective from its founder.

The Northamptonshire Composers Association (NCA) had its origins
in April/May 2005, the year of its foundation.

I was aware that Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) operated an arts development
service from offices in Clare St, which provide support for all areas of the Visual Arts, Dance,
Literature, Theatre, Contemporary (i.e. non ‘Classical’) Music and other forms. It seemed
to me that there was an obvious gap in these services, non-era based music, especially
felt by those who composed their own

Why was there such a gap? It was suggested that it might have been because there
were no composers in Northamptonshire except me and that I was an anomaly.
I knew that this was not the case, I had seen/heard the work of Philip Bricher, of
Ben Cartland (sadly now no longer with us), of Roz Webber who had recently
returned from the University at Leeds, of Frag who I had known since arriving
in Northampton nearly 13 years previously was a composer, and so the list went on.

I started research to find out who else composed in the county. On accumulating
more than 20 names, and having corresponded with many of those previously
unknown to me by phone or email, I felt that it was time to present my results
to the Arts Team. At the time, however, the overstretched Arts Team was
unable to oblige. It was consequently suggested that I set up an organisation
for composers, something that in retrospect has turned out to be better than
anything that I could have imagined.

I arranged meetings with composers and other interested people at the White
Elephant, Kettering Rd, on second Tuesdays during the summer months of 2005.
There we discussed what we should be about and how we should go about it.
During these exciting times I received a lot of support from Barry Hale and Threshold
Studios. With their assistance, I drafted a model constitution, which was later signed,
at our Inaugural Meeting at Northampton Labour Club on Thursday 6th October 2005.
Ten people, including local composer Robert Walker, signed the Constitution at that
meeting, thereby willing the organisation into existence.

I remember our first Board meeting on the following Monday and
then spending a stressful hour after the meeting typing out our essential policy
documents to be signed on the same day and Ben Cartland making me coffee and
playing me Mozart while I worked. At the members meeting of Thursday 27th October,
Ben led discussions on how wide the Composers Association should be in the music
that it caters for and includes. Two members meetings in December served the
purpose of an opportunity to listen to and play through some of the compositions
that would form our first main concert. Board meetings were held on other evenings
during that period to keep track of the selection process, get a programme together
and to organise some workshops to bring the pieces together.

The NBC Community Enabling Fund and Awards For All funded our activities in the first
half of 2006. Two workshops took place, utilising the skills of composer-conductors Colin
Touchin and Adam Melvin, the former of who conducted the necessary items in the June
concert and provided support along the way throughout this project. Additionally,
we also had a preliminary concert at Northampton Friends Meeting House on Monday
3rd April 2006, for the Music Appreciation Society. This enabled us to test out
our forthcoming concert for size (we were, by and large, appreciated).

The concert at Holy Sepulchre of Tuesday 13th June 2006 formed part of the
Northampton Festival of Music and the Arts an annual month-long event this
time chaired by our (then) Honorary President, Robert Walker.
Our concert had the highest attendance of any such event in the
festival and consisted of works by Philip Burditt, PhilipBricher, Patricia Evans
Ben Cartland, Michael Watkins, Matthew Lillistone, Dr Mark Beaumont, David
Haddon and Barnaby Byron. With an 8.00 start, a scheduled
finishing time of 9.30 was a bit optimistic, to say the least, the event actually
finished at almost 11.00 (luckily the jazz bar across the road opened quite late).
Questionnaires were given to our large audience and revealed generally positive
and supportive feedback.

By that time we had secured our profile to such an extent that we were now
able to provide members meetings of a more appetising nature. Our monthly
meetings could now be dedicated to actually discussing music and members
were invited (as they are still) to take meetings by talking about their
works or other aspects of composition. Our first such meeting of this nature
was by Philip Burditt. Charles Sheinman and Michael Watkins also delivered presentations
while further meetings in 2006 centred on works performed at the Castle Concert
(see below). More recent presentations have been by David Tompkins, Philip Bricher,
Dr Peter Kalve, Jim Tom Say (member Keith Jim Tom’s band), Frank Jordan and Dr
Mark Beaumont.

Our activities during October were conceived with the intention
of coinciding with the Making Music/Radio 3 ‘Listen Up Festival. We had hoped
to do a project with a local primary school in that month but this do not materialise,
mainly as a result of school holidays obstructing the planning phase of the project
(just as we were thinking that everything we touched turned to gold!). We managed
to obtain another outreach opportunity in June 2007, but read on for this. What
we did have on 22nd October 2006 was a very successful concert at The Castle
in Wellingborough, which I had to miss unfortunately (cousin getting married).
This won the highest praise from Wellingborough mayor Councillor Tim Allibone.
As with the Holy Sepulchre Concert a small orchestra was gathered. Works by Barnaby
Byron, Philip Bricher, and David Tompkins, our youngest member Bill Lockett,
Dr Mark Beaumont, Ben Cartland (his last concert with us), Quentin Goodman, Patricia
Evans and David Haddon were performed.

We had our AGM on St Cecelia’s day, Wednesday 22nd November 2006
when Patricia Evans was elected as our Honorary President.

By March 2007 we had started a mentoring programme with Nelson Oenga of Luton
Business & Computing College, to develop our skills in working as a team to organise
future events. Our ‘pilot’ event to be organised in this way was a concert forming
part of the Northampton Carnival entertainments with its musical theme Northampton
Meets New Orleans. The concert was scheduled to the afternoon of Sunday 10th
June. About six weeks before the Carnival Concert, Ben Cartland died in hospital.
As a very active composer and Association member during its first year, the event
was dedicated to his memory and his ‘Kenya Medley’ was performed. Being open
air and in other less than ideal circumstances, the performance quality was not
as good as in previous concerts, but what we were doing here was more to do with
getting the music to an audience that would not normally be exposed to it. Ben’s
work in Kenya and the UK has often involved bringing music to community. I am
convinced that he would have understood the purpose of the concert and have been
pleased with the results.

Other composers whose works featured at the concert were Patricia Evans,
Robert Bray – his first classical composition, ‘Lord Cornflower’s Lament’ for four
winds, Quentin Goodman, Dr Peter Kalve, David Tompkins, Dr Mark

Beaumont, Barnaby Byron, David Haddon, Mikala Bromley and Philip Bricher. We
had the pleasure of working with Andrew Bassey as our musical director for the
event, now a member of the Association.

The NCA continues with its monthly composers talks to which all are welcome.
With funding from the Fenton Trust and the Arts Council, we were able to
organise concert at Abington Avenue United Reformed Church on Thursday
27th September. The sound and performance quality of this more than made up
for such misgivings regarding the June concert.

We continue to welcome new members and to have monthly talks at the Labour Club,
to which all are invited. We look forward to many more exiting projects to enhance cultural
life locally and (at times hopefully) further a field.

MARK BEAUMONT,  18th JANUARY 2008