ANDREW DOWNES MEMORIAL CONCERT
By Christopher Morley
Despite a
life beset with horrendous health problems, Andrew Downes composed a vast
output of works in all kinds of genres, and had the satisfaction of knowing his
music brought pleasure to listeners and performers alike all over the world.
After his
death a year ago the Hagley-based composer’s enormous army of admirers begged
his family to promote a “Year of Andrew”, resulting in a continuous string of
performances of his compositions all over the country, with enquiries from as
far afield as Japan, China, the USA and Canada.
On
January 28 the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where Andrew had a long and
distinguished career as Head of Composition and Creative Studies, hosts a
memorial concert featuring some of his most popular works, as well as the first
public performance of “In a Modern City”, a composition from Andrew’s much
younger days which had long been forgotten.
Andrew’s
younger daughter, Paula, tells me how she rediscovered the piece.
“I was
transferring a recording of my Dad's Sonata for 13 Brass from cassette tape to
mp3. When the piece finished, the cassette switched to a recording that had
been recorded over. It was very fuzzy sounding, but I was convinced it sounded
very similar to Dad’s music.
“ I
couldn't work out what it could be, though, since the instrumentation didn't
match any of his other works. I started to get worried because the music
sounded so like Andrew's and I worried he might have copied his unique style
from someone else!
“I
gingerly asked my parents what it was, and they were both amazed that this
recording had survived. It was a recording of a rehearsal in which Andrew's ‘In
a Modern City’ was being tried out by the orchestra at the Birmingham School of
Music under the direction of the CBSO Assistant Conductor, Harold Gray.
“Frank
Downes, Andrew’s father, and Head of Orchestral Studies at the BSM, thought the
string parts needed to be more complicated (Harold Gray, on the other hand,
kept his score) and it led to Andrew deciding it wasn't very good and putting
it in a chest for the next 45 years. I disagreed about the strings and
encouraged Dad to get it typeset, so I asked my cousin-in-law, Paul Trippett to
do so, and Mum did the job of proof-reading, which is how Central England
Ensemble, led by my sister Anna, and conducted by Anthony Bradbury, is able to
premiere the work for the memorial concert.”
There is
hope that other “lost” compositions might be rediscovered, too.
“We think
there may be some other works in the same big metal chest from when Andrew was
a teenager and in his early twenties (his opus numbers start from his time at
the Royal College of Music studying with Herbert Howells). We also recently
rescued his beautiful Ave Maria for unaccompanied AATTBB. I created a
multitrack recording of this work with myself and my husband David Trippett
singing, and we hope to produce a proper recording with choir in the future.”
Anna
Downes explains the reasons for the continued popularity of her father’s music.
“Dad’s
music is unmistakeable and original. It has a transparent quality to it which
reminds one of the human voice, and which means that the music is often more
difficult and revealing than it looks! Dad loves to throw in rhythmically
tricky moments which give the old grey matter a workout! There is a human
quality to his music which is immensely moving.”
“The
music has a sense of space and tranquillity, which is vital for well-being in
this crazy fast-paced world,” Paula adds.
“It
allows you to sit still, move away from a screen and really sit in the music.
There are also uplifting moments of fantastic rhythmic vitality, influenced by
multi-rhythms of African drumming and Samba music. The use of modes from Church
music and Indian Raga gives a unique flavour to his works. The perfect form of
them, in terms of structure, melody and harmony sends the listener on a journey
of emotions and discoveries. The influences in his music are recognisable, but
the genius is in the creation of something absolutely unique.”
*The
Andrew Downes Memorial concert will be held in the Bradshaw Hall at Royal
Birmingham Conservatoire on January 28 (7pm). Booking details on https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/book.
ends