Category: Concert music
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Αγάπη (Agapi) and other kinds of love (Music Theatre/Hip-Hop/Intercultural Art)
Premiered at the National Museum of Australia, April 2022 Concert blurb: Experience Agapi & Other Kinds of Love by renowned Greek-Australian poet and rapper Luka Lesson. Accompanied by cinematic scores and hip-hop numbers composed by Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s James Humberstone, this soulful performance will ignite your heart. Agapi & Other Kinds of Love tells the story of…
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Empathy in the time of division (viola & electronics)
JamesHumbers · Empathy in a time of division My submission for the 2020 “Art Has To Be Contagious” installation in Tübingen, Germany, Empathy in a time of division is for electronics with solo viola and delay. [See art-has-to-be-contagious.com for more.] Live viola performed by the wonderful Connor Malanos. Please contact me if you’d like to…
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The Weight of Light (Song Cycle)
Australia’s participation in the war in Afghanistan is the nation’s longest ever military involvement. What happens when an Australian soldier, who is carrying a dark secret, is forced to confront the full force of the family that he left behind? Nigel Featherstone A song cycle commissioned by the Goulburn Regional Conservatorium of Music with The…
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Passion (2012)
Symphonic Winds, extended virtuosic Brass, two Pianos eight hands. Passion was commissioned by MLC School and was premiered at the Sydney Opera House on May 21st, 2013. A recording will appear here soon. See also the resources page (Orff Conference 2013) for learning activities to do with this work.
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Cycles&Circles (2012)
Two pitched percussion instruments, any bass instrument. JamesHumbers · Cycles & Circles (two percussionists and bass instrument, performed by Ensemble Offspring) Commissioned by Ensemble Offspring for their Music to Infinity tour. In his programme notes, Damien Ricketson wrote: Cycles and Circles by Australian composer James Humberstone has been especially commissioned for this concert. The work is a welcome…
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The Speaking Piano (2012)
An outreach project for the Goulburn Regional Conservatorium of Music, premiered by Michael Kieran Harvey. Includes music for beginner and intermediate piano players, a classroom (pitched and unpitched percussion) arrangement, and concert music for a professional. Associated resources include an illustrated story book, a free eBook for iPad and a webapp. The Speaking Piano has…
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Concertino for Double Bass (2010)
Double Bass and small String Orchestra, but piano reduction is available for the second and third movements. Commissioned by MLC School for Aurora Henrich. Download a sample of the score.
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Kaede (2007)
Horn, Violin, Cello and Piano. A theme and variations on the traditional Japanese folk song Sakura, with additional influence from John Cage’s In a Landscape, Kaede was composed as a piece for moderate standard horn solo with advanced accompaniment: ideal as a showy solo for music exams or recitals as well as concert repertoire for this ensemble. Download…
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Requiem (revision – 2006)
Solo boy soprano, Cor Anglais, Percussion, Piano, SATB. Premiered by the Sydneian Bach Choir under Chris Shepard. Soprano: Trudy Stone. Download the complete score.
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three snapshots from the old man (2006)
Clarinet in B flat, Cello, Piano. Three short programmatic pieces written after climbing the Old Man of Coniston, close to where I grew up and went to school. Composed as a Christmas gift to my father and mother-in-law, who play cello and clarinet. Download a complete score, free I’d very much like a recording of…
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She Is (2006)
Violin Duet. A jolly violin duet I composed for the processional at my wedding. Download the complete score.
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Piano Piece 1 1 06 (2006)
Piano. Here, have a free copy of the score. Here’s a link to one of those online score things from Sibelius, alternatively.
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Two Songs for Flute and Acoustic Guitar (2005)
Flute, Acoustic Guitar. Contact James for further details and a sample score.
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Hiroshima (2005)
Flute, Clarinet in B flat, Violin, Cello, Piano. Commissioned and premiered by students of Caringbah High School. This piece was inspired by a moving visit to the Hiroshima memorial with my family in June 2005. Download a sample of the score
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How Wonderful and Unexpected (2004)
Text by Robertson Fox. Choir: soprano and alto voices in three combinations (unaccompanied). I have been fortunate enough to work with poet and friend Robertson Fox on a number of works, including First of Winter which is included below. The commission for this work was specified to be a piece which was based on Christian…
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Three Moments (2004)
Flute, cello and piano. Composed for a friend who was moving to the US to study. The unison cello and flute lines were inspired by Howard Skempton’s Surface Tension – a sound I also explored in Under the Surface. Download a sample of the score.
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Chance : Chants (2003)
Piano, Violin, Flute, Oboe, Mandolin, Bass Guitar. Commissioned and premiered by Plastic Atlas, Chance : Chants includes four parts of differing lengths (both physically and temporally, each being relative) which are each performed a different number of times, exploring the “phasing slowed down” idea of my String Quartet and only beginning and ending together. Within each part are a…
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Aftertrace (2003)
Solo Drum Kit, Timpani, Vibraphone with String Orchestra. Commissioned and premiered by Sydney Grammar Prep School, St Ives. This piece is also available as a short solo violin work. Download a sample of the score.
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Requiem (2002)
Text of the Requiem Mass. Boy soprano, Cor Anglais, SATB choir, String Orchestra. Premiered by the Nova Choir and orchestra under David Mackay. Soprano: Trudy Stone. Download the complete score.
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Piece for Jonathan and Alexia (2002)
Piano, Chime Bars, Voices and Flutes or any other treble instruments. Contact James for further details and a sample score.
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A entendu les deux voies (2002)
Piano. Please, have a free score. And, there’s a recording, by the wonderful Andrew Robbie.
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T (2002)
Piano. For a real beginner, can be played as a silly duet. Here’s the score.
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Sarah’s Piece (2001)
Oboe and any bass instrument. Contact James for further details and a sample score.
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First of Winter (2001)
Words by Robertson Fox. Soprano, Flute, Piano. A commission for the C21 festival in 2001, where after a few problems finalising the soprano soloist, I sang it myself an octave down. A studio recording was made soon after, featuring Michele Morgan (soprano), Geoff Collins (flute) and Andrew Robbie (piano). Robertson Fox had been kind enough…
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Verse for 8 voices or 8-part Choir (2001)
Text by Lao Tzu. SSAATTBB. A tribute to Cornelius Cardew’s Great Learning paragraphs. At the time I composed this piece I was writing my masters thesis on the music of David Ahern, and feeling Cardew’s influence as I had when I studied Skempton’s music. This piece was commissioned and premiered by the C21 festival. Download a sample…
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Ropaloon (2001)
Soprano, Bass Clarinet, Drums, Double Bass. Commissioned and premiered by Michelle Morgan and the Chelate Compound (Simon Barker (drums) and Steve Elphick (bass)). A crazy, jazzy character piece, of which Lewis Carroll would almost definitely have approved. Download a sample of the score.
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Piano Piece 16 4 01 (2001)
Piano. Dedicated to Nick Vines. Download the score here, and a lovely recording by Andrew Robbie is below.
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3 Miniatures About Ma (2001)
Three short piano pieces composed when I discovered my mother had terminal cancer and a three month prognosis. The following performance is by Andrew Robbie. The harmony of the third movement was reused in the Agnus Dei of my Requiem which was composed in memory of my mother. Download the complete score.
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Else Nothing (2000)
Solo Viola and String Orchestra. Download a complete score.
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Celebration II (2000)
Piano. Three short movements composed for the 18th birthday of my cousin. Download a score here, and enjoy the lovely performance by Andrew Robbie below.
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Response (2000)
Cello with Piano accompaniment. Contact James for further details and a sample score.
James Humberstone 