Recent news

February 2013

I’ve recently finished a couple of new commissions – After Culloden for Humberstone Choral Society (SATB a cappella), and The Water Cycle for AppleChor, a children’s chorus in Wisconsin (SA, piano, percussion). Both of those should be premiered in May 2013, but I’m happy to take orders for any performances elsewhere after that.

January 2013

Recording of “In the Bleak Midwinter” is now up on SoundCloud! https://soundcloud.com/hutchingsmusic/inthebleakmidwinter-madrigirls Please comment and share if you like it. The SATB score is here – the version being performed on the recording is for SAAB, also available on request. Email me if you’d like to order a copy.

December 2012

  • Performances this month – Balulalow was performed at Aberdeen University Choral Society’s Carol Service on 9th December: “Balulalow went down very well on Sunday. One student in the audience came up to me after the 4pm performance and said that he wanted to join the Choral Soc on the basis of having heard your piece! The resonant acoustic of St Andrew’s Cathedral made the chord modules sound wonderful – clever idea! Choral Soc loved it… Thanks again for sending it up and congratulations on a wonderful piece.” – Prof. Pete Stollery, conductor, University of Aberdeen
  • In The Bleak Midwinter was premiered at Madrigirls‘ carol concert in the University of Glasgow Chapel.
  • November’s been quiet on the website – but that’s because I’ve just become a dad and had more important things to worry about! Our daughter Robin was born on 4th November (musical link – Seeds was written just after we found out we were expecting, listen here).

October 2012

  • Requiem concert broadcast online: The Requiem was premiered on Tuesday 30th October. You can hear the full concert recording on SoundCloud (52 min), or hear selected individual movements. The full recording for Amemptos Music will take place in March 2012.
    Click here to get the libretto and scores.
  • Teaching – some lovely feedback: “Thank you so much again for coming down to Manchester recently. I really enjoyed meeting you and talking about your work and about composing in general. The students greatly benefited from the masterclass sessions, and were buzzing about it for some time afterwards. I think they have “borrowed” a few of your ideas (the mobiles cropped up in one piece soon afterwards!). You pitched it exactly right in terms of helpful comments and constructive criticism.” – Jeremy Pike, Chetham’s School of Music, following masterclasses given to students this month

September 2012

  • My new Requiem will be premiered on Tuesday 30th October in Glasgow – and you can watch it free online as well!
    If you’re able to get to Glasgow, the performance will be in the University Memorial Chapel (enter by main gate then go to the right) at 6pm – please arrive by 5.45pm to be sure of getting a seat. Admission is free!
    But if you’re further afield, the chapel broadcasts everything happening there on the Chapel Webcam – the link to it is at
    http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/chaplaincy/ – and you can watch it for free online.
    Please email me to let me know if you’re coming along, or watching online – it would be good to hear people’s reactions.

  • I’ve just finished a commission for AppleChor in Wisconsin, called The Water Cycle – see a preview here. Words are by Julia Laylander, used with permission and grateful thanks.

August 2012

  • Just handed my PhD in – which is why the last couple of months have been very quiet on the promotion front.

July 2012

  • Another upcoming performance – Balulalow is being sung by the University of Aberdeen Choral Society this Christmas – 9th December, 4.30pm and 7.30pm, in their Carols For All celebration. Anyone in Aberdeen – come and enjoy! I might be at the 4.30 one. In addition, it will also be sung in Toronto by York Road United Church Choir on 16th December.
    Preview the score here, listen to a recording or order a copy.

June 2012