Rick Birley:
I am married with four children, all of whom are now adult. My family is a close one and I feel very fortunate. I live and work in Dorset, which, along with Sussex [childhood], Wiltshire and Pembrokeshire helps to shape the person I am.
From University [I studied for a B.Mus] I went straight into teaching at a prep school in Eastbourne, and realised immediately that I wanted to work in the maintained sector. The following year I went to Queens', Cambridge to gain my Cert. Ed. - having a gloriously undemanding year as a post-grad, singing in the Chapel Choir under Stephen Armstrong, and participating in as much music making as possible. I went to sung evensongs as often as I could. My first job as a qualified teacher was at St John's Comprehensive in Marlborough, and here it was that I bought my first house, in Blowhorn Street [Alexandra Terrace]. I spent three very active and fulfilled years in this job. Then, after a dreadful year teaching in Staffordshire, I settled in Oxford, as Head of Music in the Oxford School in Glanville Road. After three years here [and getting married] I started up a brand new Music Department at the newly created Weymouth College [on the split sites of the DIHE & the old SDTC]. This was a wonderful time for many years, until funding squeezes in the 90's destroyed the educational infrastructure of all FE, culminating in the mass staff exodus from 2002. I worked with fantastic people and helped create a working environment of great vibrant creativity, allowing generations of students - academic & vocational (we did not care at all for the distiction!) - to thrive and grow into many wonderful musicians dotted around the country [the world even....] many of whom I still see from time to time. I have heard top performances of my music given by some of these folk - such a privilege. All the time I have felt myself primarily to be a composer, a not-very-good conductor [especially of my own music], an aspiring artist and a sometime poet. Only in the last ten years or so, working freelance at home, have I really found the large amount of time needed to develop this more creative side of my being.
Born in 1954 I came late to music when I changed direction [and A level choices] at the end of my first year in the sixth form. Being devoid of any practical technique I resolved to become a composer. I don't think I composed anything very worthwhile until I was in my 40's [March Wind was my first half-decent composition from University days] and not until I studied with Michael Zev Gordon did my critical faculties allow me to better shape my musical ideas into half-decent works. I have a great deal of music I composed where the basic themes are OK but whose structures and development leave much to be desired. I used to make use of some of these ideas as starting points for fresh composition, but find it very difficult to hear the music except as it was first conceived. Most often now I write entirely new music and am allowing myself to destroy most of the old works - a cathartic process, if temporarily a little bit traumatic. The piano concerto is, for example, one of those works of which I had been so proud but whose weaknesses I now perceive. I cannot however bring myself to destroy it.... yet! The string quartet [performed by a quartet of BSO players, but not posted on this website] was almost entirely based on student material, and worked after a fashion. But it feels a bit stale and compromised for me. I have struggled for a few years to revise my violin concerto too, but have not managed to rid myself of the original sufficiently to mould a new work out of the old. I still hope that this will happen.
I was educated at Marlborough College, Aberystwyth University, Queens' College [Cambridge] & Southampton University [gaining my doctorate in February 2008]. With the benefit of hindsight I realise that there were so many opportunities I avoided, mostly through my fear of failure. To write music means having a solid inner core of self belief, coupled with an uncompromising critical faculty and a technique that must be taken for granted. There also lurks the huge self-doubt, which surfaces frequently as a kind of paranoia, especially when faced with the apparent futilty of composing for an audience of one - myself! It is a faith I have to hold fast to, as to abandon the whole thing now would be to admit a life-long failure, and I'd prefer to die deluded rather than feeling I'd wasted my life. Anyway, the whole thing offers me an activity, outcomes, moments of great satisfaction, and the thrill of starting out on new works even as the old ones fade into mediocrity. This website represents a part only of what I am, what I do. I hope the artificiality of it does not hinder too much the real nature of what I do; I wish for something less ephemeral, but until this is forthcoming this virtual space is all there is.
Things happen over which one can exercise control, but other things occur which come out of the blue and over which one most certainly has no control at all. In seemingly good health I suffered a bad shoulder dislocation whilst clambering up a cliff in Wales in the late 1990s. This was 'reduced' successfully and I apparently recovered; however within a couple of years I had dislocated it again, and again, until it turned into a 'recurrent' dislocation. Nearly every one needed hospital treatment; one or two were 'reduced' in situ by passing orthopedic surgeons.... one I 'reduced' myself. After two operations I had to accept that I had a weak joint. It was a few years later when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease that I realised that the problem with my right shoulder was a generic weakness which now extended to my other joints. I have also dislocated my left shoulder in a fall, so both shoulders are weak and painful now. My knees are both very painful and inhibit my mobility a great deal. I had surgery on both in April 2011 and there is a small improvement. My entire right side is stiff, usually painfully so, and I can no longer write easily with a pen, nor can I play the piano without difficulty. I draw and paint left-handed and refrain from writing, instead using voice dictation software. Without that and in particular without drugs and Sibelius software I would have given up all things literary as well as my composing. The levadopa I take offers considerable help with all these problems, but in fits and starts only. I can never be sure what my state will be.... but all in all, thank goodness for drugs & computers!
I keep myself as active as possible. There is the endlessly full-of-energy Maverick [my cocker spaniel] to take out for walks, and I have just bought a sailing kayak which is giving me enormous pleasure. Whatever challenges life has thrown at me I have so far met head on, and made into opportunities to triumph. I am still seeking an opportunity to hear my music performed professionally; there is surely an orchestra somewhere out there that would relish the challenge of discovering my works. Maybe the day will come where many professional groups seek out my compositions to play..... I wish!
I am a lucky man: I have a wonderful family and many friends. In particular my wife Sally is a tremendous support in all respects. Without her help life for me would be very much tougher. My music offers me strong friendships with all the choral singing I am involved with - particularly the Barn Choir, the Occasional Singers, the Briantspuddle Singers, and other groups too. And in many other areas of my life there are good folk who help me to keep active - most notably my walking group friends and more recently my new-found sailing pals. I could not manage my boat on my own, but have enormous fun with the invaluable support of the group of fellow Hobie sailors who have become my friends. All for one and one for all....
From University [I studied for a B.Mus] I went straight into teaching at a prep school in Eastbourne, and realised immediately that I wanted to work in the maintained sector. The following year I went to Queens', Cambridge to gain my Cert. Ed. - having a gloriously undemanding year as a post-grad, singing in the Chapel Choir under Stephen Armstrong, and participating in as much music making as possible. I went to sung evensongs as often as I could. My first job as a qualified teacher was at St John's Comprehensive in Marlborough, and here it was that I bought my first house, in Blowhorn Street [Alexandra Terrace]. I spent three very active and fulfilled years in this job. Then, after a dreadful year teaching in Staffordshire, I settled in Oxford, as Head of Music in the Oxford School in Glanville Road. After three years here [and getting married] I started up a brand new Music Department at the newly created Weymouth College [on the split sites of the DIHE & the old SDTC]. This was a wonderful time for many years, until funding squeezes in the 90's destroyed the educational infrastructure of all FE, culminating in the mass staff exodus from 2002. I worked with fantastic people and helped create a working environment of great vibrant creativity, allowing generations of students - academic & vocational (we did not care at all for the distiction!) - to thrive and grow into many wonderful musicians dotted around the country [the world even....] many of whom I still see from time to time. I have heard top performances of my music given by some of these folk - such a privilege. All the time I have felt myself primarily to be a composer, a not-very-good conductor [especially of my own music], an aspiring artist and a sometime poet. Only in the last ten years or so, working freelance at home, have I really found the large amount of time needed to develop this more creative side of my being.
Born in 1954 I came late to music when I changed direction [and A level choices] at the end of my first year in the sixth form. Being devoid of any practical technique I resolved to become a composer. I don't think I composed anything very worthwhile until I was in my 40's [March Wind was my first half-decent composition from University days] and not until I studied with Michael Zev Gordon did my critical faculties allow me to better shape my musical ideas into half-decent works. I have a great deal of music I composed where the basic themes are OK but whose structures and development leave much to be desired. I used to make use of some of these ideas as starting points for fresh composition, but find it very difficult to hear the music except as it was first conceived. Most often now I write entirely new music and am allowing myself to destroy most of the old works - a cathartic process, if temporarily a little bit traumatic. The piano concerto is, for example, one of those works of which I had been so proud but whose weaknesses I now perceive. I cannot however bring myself to destroy it.... yet! The string quartet [performed by a quartet of BSO players, but not posted on this website] was almost entirely based on student material, and worked after a fashion. But it feels a bit stale and compromised for me. I have struggled for a few years to revise my violin concerto too, but have not managed to rid myself of the original sufficiently to mould a new work out of the old. I still hope that this will happen.
I was educated at Marlborough College, Aberystwyth University, Queens' College [Cambridge] & Southampton University [gaining my doctorate in February 2008]. With the benefit of hindsight I realise that there were so many opportunities I avoided, mostly through my fear of failure. To write music means having a solid inner core of self belief, coupled with an uncompromising critical faculty and a technique that must be taken for granted. There also lurks the huge self-doubt, which surfaces frequently as a kind of paranoia, especially when faced with the apparent futilty of composing for an audience of one - myself! It is a faith I have to hold fast to, as to abandon the whole thing now would be to admit a life-long failure, and I'd prefer to die deluded rather than feeling I'd wasted my life. Anyway, the whole thing offers me an activity, outcomes, moments of great satisfaction, and the thrill of starting out on new works even as the old ones fade into mediocrity. This website represents a part only of what I am, what I do. I hope the artificiality of it does not hinder too much the real nature of what I do; I wish for something less ephemeral, but until this is forthcoming this virtual space is all there is.
Things happen over which one can exercise control, but other things occur which come out of the blue and over which one most certainly has no control at all. In seemingly good health I suffered a bad shoulder dislocation whilst clambering up a cliff in Wales in the late 1990s. This was 'reduced' successfully and I apparently recovered; however within a couple of years I had dislocated it again, and again, until it turned into a 'recurrent' dislocation. Nearly every one needed hospital treatment; one or two were 'reduced' in situ by passing orthopedic surgeons.... one I 'reduced' myself. After two operations I had to accept that I had a weak joint. It was a few years later when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease that I realised that the problem with my right shoulder was a generic weakness which now extended to my other joints. I have also dislocated my left shoulder in a fall, so both shoulders are weak and painful now. My knees are both very painful and inhibit my mobility a great deal. I had surgery on both in April 2011 and there is a small improvement. My entire right side is stiff, usually painfully so, and I can no longer write easily with a pen, nor can I play the piano without difficulty. I draw and paint left-handed and refrain from writing, instead using voice dictation software. Without that and in particular without drugs and Sibelius software I would have given up all things literary as well as my composing. The levadopa I take offers considerable help with all these problems, but in fits and starts only. I can never be sure what my state will be.... but all in all, thank goodness for drugs & computers!
I keep myself as active as possible. There is the endlessly full-of-energy Maverick [my cocker spaniel] to take out for walks, and I have just bought a sailing kayak which is giving me enormous pleasure. Whatever challenges life has thrown at me I have so far met head on, and made into opportunities to triumph. I am still seeking an opportunity to hear my music performed professionally; there is surely an orchestra somewhere out there that would relish the challenge of discovering my works. Maybe the day will come where many professional groups seek out my compositions to play..... I wish!
I am a lucky man: I have a wonderful family and many friends. In particular my wife Sally is a tremendous support in all respects. Without her help life for me would be very much tougher. My music offers me strong friendships with all the choral singing I am involved with - particularly the Barn Choir, the Occasional Singers, the Briantspuddle Singers, and other groups too. And in many other areas of my life there are good folk who help me to keep active - most notably my walking group friends and more recently my new-found sailing pals. I could not manage my boat on my own, but have enormous fun with the invaluable support of the group of fellow Hobie sailors who have become my friends. All for one and one for all....
Self-portrait [sepia pen]
