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Rodney
Newton Hon. BC
Musical
Associate
RODNEY
NEWTON was born in Birmingham, England in 1945 and received
his musical education at Birmingham School of Music (now Birmingham
Conservatoire, of which he is an Honorary Member), studying
composition with Dr. Cyril Christopher and timpani with the
legendary Ernest Parsons (a founder-member of the City of Birmingham
Symphony Orchestra).
In 1967 he joined the BBC Training Orchestra in Bristol as a
timpanist and percussionist, leaving at the end of 1969. During
his Bristol years he wrote music for the BBC World Service.
In 1974, after a period of freelancing, he joined the orchestra
of Sadlers Wells (English National) Opera where he remained
for eleven years, the last five as principal timpanist. He was
involved in the company's famous recording of Wagner's Ring
cycle and took part in the1994 tour of America. He also played
regularly in London's various symphony, opera and recording
orchestras, including the BBC Symphony, London Philharmonic,
London Symphony, National Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Royal
Philharmonic and the Royal Opera and, at one point, formed his
own St. Martin's Lane Ensemble.
During this period he composed prolifically in all genres, his
works including nine symphonies, five string quartets, many
chamber works and much vocal music. He achieved a commendation
in the 1975 Prince Pierre of Monaco composers' competition.
He worked in music publishing and has been long associated with
British music, having worked closely with composers Simon Bainbridge,
George Lloyd, Edwin Roxburgh and Robert Simpson, and prepared
performing editions of major works by Granville Bantock, Havergal
Brian and Gustav Holst among others.
He left ENO in 1985 to work in films and television as a composer,
arranger, musical director and music consultant. He worked on
feature films, including King David (Paramount), The Butterfly
Effect (Fernando Colomo) and Painted Ladies (CinePics) and television
series including The Living Isles, The Pyrates and The Watch
House (BBC TV) and Korea - the Unknown War (Thames TV).
During this period he continued to perform, taking part in the
London Symphony Orchestra's triumphant 1986 visit to the Salzburg
Festival and also became involved with the period instrument
movement, playing, touring and recording with the leading ensembles
such as the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Concert, the
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, London Concert Players
and the Taverner Players.
He subsequently entered the world of higher education and was
a member of the composition department of London College of
Music from 1995 to 2000, running a post-graduate degree course
in film music for three years. He also taught in the Commercial
Music department at the Royal Academy of Music and, since 1989,
has been on the academic staff of London Film School. He has
contributed to BBC radio programmes on film music and has lectured
at the National Film Theatre.
In the 'nineties he became much involved with brass and wind
bands, notably the famous Williams Fairey (now The Fairey) Band
and was responsible for all the arrangements for Jeremy Deller's
Acid Brass project, which caused something of a sensation in
the late 1990s and helped to gain its originator the 2004 Turner
Prize. Apart from Fairey, his music has been played and recorded
by many other bands, including Brassband Berner Oberland (Switzerland),
Buy As You View (Cory), PolySteel (Flowers), Foden's Richardson,
Reg Vardy (Ever Ready), Ransome, Stavanger and Sola (Norway),Whitburn
and YBS bands and the military bands of the Coldstream Guards,
the Grenadier Guards, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Danish
Navy, the US Army (Pershing's Own) and the Royal Marines. He
has written works for a number of youth bands, among them Besses
Boys', Hampshire County Youth and 2nd Rossendale Scout Group
and for distinguished soloists including David Childs, Brett
Baker and James Gourlay.
His concert works have been played in many major venues, at
international festivals, broadcast on radio and played in the
presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and other members
of the Royal Family.
He is a member of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters,
the Music Writers' Council of the Musicians' Union and the Wagner
Society of Great Britain (for which he has written articles
and reviews and given talks) and sat for four years on the executive
committee of the Association of Professional Composers. He is
currently Music Consultant to London Film School, Music Associate
of The Fairey Band, Music Associate of Buy As You View Band,
Composer in Association of 2nd Rossendale Scout Group Band and
Features Editor of British Bandsman magazine.
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