Recordings | peterwillsher

R e c o r d i n g s

Everyone Suddenly Burst Out Singing

Words by Siegfried Sassoon

I wrote this in 1976 for the six singing students of Pat Scanlon, a colleague of mine at West Heath School, who died from complications of Hodgkins Lymphoma. The first performance was at her memorial service.
This performance, however was part of the memorial service in St Martin in the Fields, for Ruth Rudge, who was a very distinguished and lovely lady, and also my first boss, headmistress at West Heath School. The ladies of the Occasional Choir, whose beginnings were as the Madrigal Choir at West Heath, which I co-founded, all those years ago, are the singers, including one of the six that took part in the very first performance. I am conducting, and Penny Walker, who now directs the choir is accompanying. Unfortunately less than half the singers are visible in the video.

Intermezzo for solo viola and strings

Commissioned and played by the distinguished Ottawa violist, Kevin James

The composer is directing the Ottawa based string orchestra, Sinfonia.

Christmas In Montreal

Composed by Peter Willsher 2011.

Each year for Christmas I have written something for my family. When they were younger it was usually a song, a carol. Recently it has just been a short piece. This year my mind turned to my eldest son, and his wife who will be having their first child this year, making me a grandfather. So it is with the emotions of a new born again, in the family, that inspired me to write this. The first performance was given to my family as they sat around the tree and in front of the fire waiting to have a carol sing-along after a wonderful Italian Christmas Eve meal. I hope you enjoy this little lyric poem. Happy New Year to all.

Tango

Written in 2008