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Thomas Tomkins, a pupil of William
Byrd, took charge of music at
Worcester Cathedral in 1596 when he was only 24. He remained in the
post for more than fifty years producing a steady stream of vocal and
instrumental music characterised by strong melodic lines and original
harmony.
In 2003, as chairman of the Worcester
Concert Club, composer and arranger Derek Smith launched a competition
for young composers based on a madrigal tune by Tomkins and felt that
he should put a toe in the water by completing a specimen competition
piece just to see what an entry involved. Writing it was fun and so
three other movements followed quickly based on tunes for virginals and
viols. /Tomkins Tunes/ is dedicated to the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble
which gave the first performance in Worcester on 3rd October 2004.
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