Patrick Larley
Patrick Larley is a British composer.
Biography
He was born in Frodsham, Cheshire, England and lived at Fearnhead in Warrington. Patrick is the third of the four children of Ian A. and Helen Dunsmuir/Larley:Larley studied organ and singing at the Royal Manchester College of Music and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He pursued a career in cathedral music, holding posts of Vicar Choral in Wells Cathedral and then becoming Sub-Organist in St Asaph Cathedral, moving on to become Master of Choristers at Grimsby Minster and Director of Music at St James’ Choir School, Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire. After this he became Director of Music in Ellesmere College in Shropshire.
He is now a freelance composer, conductor, harpsichordist and organist, and is also Musical Director of Ludlow Choral Society in Shropshire and Birmingham Festival Choral Society, and formerly directed Nantwich Choral Society in Cheshire. He has founded and directs a number of vocal ensembles including Gallery Players and Chudleigh’s Company. He has given recitals in cathedrals and churches throughout Britain and has toured France, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Italy and Ireland as a conductor and organist.
Music
Much of Larley's output has been sacred choral music, ranging from short unaccompanied gems such as the well-known A Girl for the Blue through to full-scale works for choir, soloists and orchestra such as his Mass of a Thousand Ages written for the new millennium and first performed in April 2000. His musical style is fresh, tonal and approachable, with soft dissonances, soaring melodies and lilting syncopation, blending seamlessly his strong ecclesiastical roots in plainchant and monastic liturgy with the simplicity of a Celtic folk-like idiom. Reviewers and commentators have likened his musical style at various times to those of Gerald Finzi, William Mathias, John Rutter, Frederick Delius and Leonard Bernstein.A number of his choral works have been recorded on CD, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and performed widely in the UK and in America.
Works
His works include:Choir and orchestra
A Mass of a Thousand Ages for choir, children’s choir, mezzo-soprano and bass soloists, brass quintet, wind quartet and organ, 2000 Appearing, Shining, Distant or Near for choir, high soprano solo, organ, piano and celeste, tubular bells and gong, 1998 Stone Circles for choir, female semi-chorus, soprano solo, brass, organ and percussion, 1998'In Praise of Music' for Chorus, Children's Choir, Soprano and Mezzo soloists, Orchestra
'The Gentle Earth of Wales' for Chorus, Children's Choir, Soprano and Baritone soloists, Orchestra
The Birmingham Spirituals for Chorus, Semi-chorus, strings, 2 sax, flute, steel pans, piano, perc.
Unaccompanied voices
A Girl for the Blue for SATB and soprano solo On the Edge of Glory - a meditation on the life of St. Columba for SATB, soprano and tenor solo, 1997 Crucifying and Resurrection from Divine Poems by John Donne for SATB The Dreame for SSAATTBB To His Beloved - settings of four poems by W. B. Yeats: The Lake Isle of Innisfree, The Rose of Peace, He wishes for the cloths of heaven and When you are old and grey and full of sleep Songs of the Cosmos - two songs for SATB with optional drones: The Song of the Stars and The Song of the Sky Loom Heaven for SATB/SA solo A Glasse of Blessings for SATB Antiphon for ATTBarB Two Medieval Carols: Hayle, flowre of al vyrgynyte for SATB/ST solo and Wolcum Yole! for SATBGood Friday Night for SATB/Mez solo Wake now my love, for it is time for SATB Responses for Treble Voices for SA'The Salutation' SATB