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. |
