Current
Concerto for Tubameister & Orchestra (US premiere) will be presented October 5th 2014 by the Olympia Symphony Orchestra (WA), with tuba soloist Jc Sherman, conducted by Huw Edwards, at the Washington Centre for the Performing Arts. A Composer Residency for Victor Davies, awarded by the SOCAN Foundation, will take him to interviews with KING FM Radio in Seattle, and appearances throughout the area before the concert.
More information on the US premiere concert
Concerto for Tubameister & Orchestra
Theme & Variations (11 minutes)
Waltz for Franco (4 minutes)
Sancho Panza Goes to the Bull Fight (7 minutes)
“Tuba concerto kicks some brass in world debut”
Tuba player Jc Sherman for whom Concerto for Tubameister was commissioned at world premiere in Vancouver, September 2008.
“Horn’s lighthearted side revealed”
“…A rare showcase for the patriarch of the brass family gave Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra principal tuba Chris Lee a chance to demonstrate his prodigious talent, showing the light-hearted and jaunty side of the instrument, …great dynamic variation in the Theme & Variations, … with impressive delicacy and sweet flow in Waltz for Franco, …and in Sancho Panza Goes to the Bull Fight a castanet enhanced paso doble engaging the tuba in trills, syncopation, and sky-high notes while the trumpets morphed into a mariachi band, all gracefully & precisely rendered by conductor Rei Hotoda”, as reviewed by (Winnipeg Free Press) Gwenda Nemerofsky
The Concerto For Tubameister was commissioned by Commander Chip & Pennie Sherman for their son, virtuoso tubist J.c. Sherman, principal tubist for Cleveland Opera and a member of the Blossom Festival Band. J.c. Sherman very successfully premiered the concerto for tuba with pianist Zsuzsanna Kukacs, in Vancouver BC Canada for the Cathedral Guild of the Arts Chamber Series – Performance!
A band version of the concerto is planned for next year
Media and More:
How the Concerto came to be (Winnipeg Free Press)
Tuba player review of WSO concert & other comments (TubeNet)
Music available:
Piano rehearsal/performance score plus tuba part (8.5” x11”)Orchestral study score (8.5” x11”)
Orchestral score/ parts/ rental from Counterpoint Music Library
Orchestral perusal score available from Counterpoint Music Library
Past
World Premiere of Jazz Concerto For Piano And Orchestra Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra May 13th 2001 Centennial Concert Hall Winnipeg. 1st Movement only (Theme with Nine Scenes – A Detective Story) Commissioned by Bramwell Tovey for his Gala Finale and Farewell to Winnipeg concert. Bramwell Tovey piano and Michael Hall Conductor.(see WORKS above)
For The Moment (feature film) on Bravo Cable Television Network May 16th 2001. Starring Russell Crowe in his first North American film. The sound track, performed by musicians of the Czech Philharmonic and Prague Big Band is a mixture of original and classical orchestral and 40s big band sounds. (see CD,s)
Jazz Concerto For Organ and Orchestra – CBC Radio Arts Encounters May 20th 2001 Wayne Marshall, the Calgary Philharmonic conducted by Howard Cable. Boogie Pipes, Blue Pipes, Cool Pipes and Hot Pipes (Ragging The Pipes) (see WORKS above)
Honour Before Glory (docudrama about the first black battalion in the Canadian army in WW 1) CBC TV network November 6th 7:00 PM EST 2001. Anthony Sherwood Productions. A film score for chamber orchestra, conducted by Victor Davies. Will also soon be available on video with an educational package for schools.
Drug Deals A film score for NFB and Merit Motion Pictures concerning the pharmaceutical industry and withdrawn drugs. The TV version was shown on the CBC TV network November 13th 8:00 PM EST 2001 as an episode of The Nature Of Things. David Suzuki introduced it on TV and at a special screening at The University of Toronto.
Revelation (an oratorio) CBC TV network Sunday December 1st 1:00 PM EST 2001. A repeat of the Adrienne Clarkson Presents show about the creation and first performance of REVELATION. We received many emails with plaudits and asking if the work was available on CD (not yet but we continue to work toward that goal). Also shown a number of times on BRAVO cable network over the last few months. (see WORKS above)
Lifting The Sky for choir, piano and story teller, commissioned by the North American Welsh Choir. Premiere May 5th 2001 Shelton Washington (State). Performances in Minneapolis and Baltimore. Will receive its UK premier July 5th 2002 at St David’s Cathedral, St. Davids Wales.(see WORKS above)
Main Street from Rhapsody For Strings Music on the Henley, The Peninsula Strings Michael Reason Conductor St. Catherines Ontario August 18th 2001.(see WORKS above)
The Mennonite Piano Concerto: (see WORKS above)
- October 10th, 2000 Orchestre Symphonique Lyonnais, Lyon France, Marc Fortier conductor (Philippe Fournier artistic director) The Mennonite Blues an excerpt of the second movement of The Mennonite Piano Concerto piano Steve Farrell. (arranged by Marc Fortier)
- Karin Redecopp Edwards solo version of the slow movement of The Mennonite Piano Concerto (arranged by Redecopp Edwards) Summer 2001, Mennonite USA Church Assembly Nashville Tenn, Wheaton College Church Pianists Institute October 2001 Wheaton Illinois.
- One performance of many of the CD of the London Symphony Orchestra, Irmgard Baerg piano, Boris Brott, conductor on CBC radio network,s Disc Drive presented by Jurgen Goethe October 30th 2001.
- The Mennonite Piano Concerto was featured on King – FM 98.1 in Seattle the largest FM station in the US in December 2001 This concerto has been one of the most requested works on this station since its debut on LP in 1983.e) In 2001 and again in 2002, The Concerto was in the Classical Top 20 (#4) on Radio Kansas (Public Radio For Kansas), (The highest rated 20th Century work, Rhapsody in Blue was 6, The Stars And Stripes Forever was 8 (!) Bolerowas 10.) www.radiokansas.org/classic20.cfm
The Big Top Suite has had a number of performances this past few months. The circus parade has been led by conductor Arthur Polson (often in his clown makeup!) and The Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra with performances November 19th 2000 at the Michael J Fox Hall in Vancouver, and 3 performances in Scotland at The Aberdeen Youth Festival in August 2001….”Canadian Victor Davies was the composer of the piece which many will regard as the highlight of the evening. This was written for The Royal Winnipeg Ballet …poodles, clowns, big cats, mimes and equestrians all were brought to life by the skills of the composer and orchestra. Following in the parade (often in
costume!! ) were The Georgian Bay Symphony with John Barnum conductor on May 12th and Earl Stafford conducting the Saskatoon Symphony on September 12, 2001. (see WORKS above)
The a capella motet Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen But Yet Have Believed in Ottawa Ontario September 29 2001, Notre Dame Cathedral, Cathedral Singers Michel Guimont conductor, for the national investiture of the Knights Of Malta. Premiered May 13, 2000 it is written in English, French and Latin. Commissioned by Theodore Arcand, it promises to become used annually at this event. (see WORKS above)
Tango 55 from the piano trio Silhouettes December 13, 2001 and Good Times Suite – Butterfly Dance, January 8th, 2002 on CBC radio network,s Music and Company Tom Allen host. (see WORKS above)
The release on August 12, 2001 of Alexandria Festival Of The Lakes, highlights of past festivals CD in Alexandria Minnesota featuring Variations on George Gershwin,s – I Got Rhythm recorded by Topaz (formerly The Canadian Piano Trio) Jamie Weisenblum violin, Nina Tobias cello, and Lincoln Mayorga piano.
The release of Dream Variations on the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra’s CD Celebrations in November 2001conducted by Arthur Polson. All divisions of the orchestra performed the work: the Senior Orchestra, Intermediate Orchestra, Junior String Orchestra and Introductory Strings. This outstanding orchestra of 225 young and talented musicians who deliver an exciting and musical performance was recorded by noted producer Edward Norman live at The Massey Theatre in Vancouver BC. Prepared by conductors Margitta Krebs, Jin Zhang and Arthur Polson, this CD was made to celebrate The VYSO,s 70th Anniversary as one of Canada,s oldest performing groups.
Dream Variations was commissioned by the VYSO in 1995 and has been performed by them many times. Written to highlight the abilities of all the groups of the orchestra from the beginning player to members who are virtuoso young adults, the work is a set of variations on the nursery tune Rock A Bye Baby. It always struck Victor Davies that this old nursery rhyme contained a very strange story indeed So, when baby falls asleep, after mom and dad sing baby the well known tune, baby descends into the land of dreams, some beautiful, some crazy, some fun and also some terrifying. Each variation is a dream but ultimately baby wakes up when the clock strikes 7 to a beautiful sunrise and
all is well as the new day starts. (see WORKS above)
Lifting The Sky for choir, piano and story teller, commissioned by the North American Welsh Choir, will receive its
UK premier July 5th 2002 at St David,s Cathedral, St. Davids Wales by the choir.
Let,s Talk! (Conversations For Big Band And Orchestra) Hamilton Philharmonic and The Hamilton All Star Big Band,
Michael Reason conductor on May 3, 2002 Hamilton Place, Hamilton Ontario.
Pan Am Music ( Pan Am Marches and Reach Out Go For Gold as a finale) February 15, 2002 – Vox Nouveau Singers,
Soloists, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Reason conductor. A concert celebrating The Winter Olympics,
Hamilton Place, Hamilton Ontario.
Jazz Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra (A Detective Story) (Theme With Nine Scenes, I Saw Them In Paris, Escape
To Havana) September 21, 2002, Wayne Marshall, piano (1998 BBC Musician Of The Year) Hamilton Philharmonic, Michael
Reason conductor. Hamilton Place, Hamilton Ontario.
Honour Before Glory (docudrama about the first black battalion in the Canadian army in WW 1) Hollywood Black Film
Festival February 6th 2002. Anthony Sherwood Productions. Composed for chamber orchestra and conducted by Victor
Davies. Will also soon be available on video with an educational package for schools.
