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| Composers
/ Lyricists featured (click here to jump directly): |
Craig Allison
John Gauntley
Mike Gibb
Anne Knight
Alan Lewis
Judy McGrigor
Anthony Merryweather
Andrew Monk
Tony Osborne
Jonathan Posner
Chris Smellie
Mark Wheeller
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| Craig
Allison
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Composer
Lyricist
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Award Winning:
Songwriter,
Author
Published Writer,
Registered Landscape
Architect
Designer, and
Artist
ja602@aol.com
http://www.craigallison.com
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| John
Gauntley
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Composer |
John
has been composing music on the guitar and piano from an early age and
has had works performed on BBC radio as well as in Church as a wedding
march.
His compositions are wide
ranging, from the monumental 'Descendance' to the soft, melodic 'Ascendance';
from the highly moving 'The Chase is Over' to the heavy rock 'The Soothsayer'
(songs featured in Spirit of History, written
with Jonathan Posner and Chris Smellie).
When not working as a highly
successful wine merchant, John can be found listening to a collection
of classical CDs that any library would find very large!
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| Mike
Gibb
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Lyricist
& Composer |
Mike
Gibb has been the editor of UK based show music magazine, Masquerade,
for twelve years and for the last decade has been the UK columnist of
US magazine Show Music.
He
wrote the story, book and lyrics for the new Scottish musical, A
Land Fit For Heroes (music by Graham Stephen) which premiered at
the Lemon Tree Theatre in Aberdeen in June, 2001 to great critical and
audience acclaim. Further productions in Scotland and North America
are in the pipeline while a professionally recorded CD has been released
by WHAS Records (whas2006). For further information check out the web
site www.hamepages.com
Mike
has also worked with London based composers like Bernard J. Taylor and
is currently writing a one act musical revue with talented writer Alexander
S. Bermange.
A
new Scottish musical titled Mother Of All The
Peoples, based on the
life of Dundee jute worker Mary Slessor who became world famous for
her work as a missionary in West Africa, was successfully premiered in Aberdeen, Mike having written book
& lyrics and co-written the music with Mairi Paton.
Mike
can be contacted by e-mail at
info@hamepages.com
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Anne
Knight
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Playwright |
Anne
Knight started writing for the theatre in 1980 and has continued to write,
direct and act in the Milton Keynes area. Anne will also undertake
writing commissions and workshops in both acting/directing and playwrighting
within a 50 mile radius of Milton Keynes.
Anne has ane extensive catalogue
of works encompassing Musicals, Comedies, One-Act Plays, Monologues
and Speeches.
Visit her website.
Email Anne
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| Alan
Lewis
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Composer
/ Lyricist |
Alan
is both a words and music man. On the words side, he has two published
volumes of his puns – A pun my soul and Pundemoniam –
many of the pieces originally for The Sunday Times or BBC Radio
2, and works as supporting editor on two construction journals. He also
has written copy for greetings cards and in 2002 saw his new carol Hope
in the world published as a Christmas card by Calligraphic Cards.
His collaboration with Trevor Pilling led to the staging in Chesham in
May 2002 of Below Stairs, a musical comedy set in 1914, for which
Alan composed all the music. Described by actor/playwright Simon
Williams of TV's Upstairs, Downstairs as ‘fabulous', the show
attracted rave reviews and is being performed by a Spanish-based ex-pat
group, the Jávea Players, in April and by the 100-year-old Utopia
Operatic Society in Catford in September 2003.
And what better way to finish this outline than with some review quotes:
‘energy, polish, glitz', ‘instantly likable songs', ‘a top-class
show of music, fun and surprise', ‘captured the era perfectly',
‘polished script and lyrics', ‘fine variety of tuneful songs',
‘witty lines and good humour' and, most relished, ‘deserves to go
forward to national recognition'.
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| Judy
McGrigor
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Composer |
Judy
is an RAF wife and mum to two young boys and has a background in teaching
and lecturing in music. She has just returned from four years in Cyprus
where she kept herself busy writing incidental music for ‘A Midsummer
Night’s Dream’ at Curium
Amphitheatre in 1996, producing music for 2 pantomimes, directing the
Episkopi Music Festival working with various military bands, and a school
production of ‘Oliver’. In collaboration with Chris Terrington,
who wrote most of the lyrics,
‘Richard the Lionheart’
was Judy’s first musical. It took over a year to write and was recorded
live at the ancient amphitheatre of Curium in Cyprus; a fitting spot -
near the chapel of St. George where Richard married the beautiful Berengaria
of Navarre, with the sea and summer breeze as real live sound effects!
Judy and Chris went on to write ‘Bethlehem 2000’ - a rock
nativity which was performed by a host of singers and the Normandy
band in’97. Judy completed the script and music for 'The Britts’
last year which was performed by a cast of 70 in March ‘99.
It was selected in April 2000 for the semi-finals of this year’s
Vivian Ellis awards. Both she and Chris are planning another work. |
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| Anthony
Merryweather
Andrew Monk
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Lyricist
/ Composer
Lyricist / Librettist
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Anthony
Merryweather and Andrew Monk teach Music and History, respectively, at
a small prep school in Surrey, UK, and have been writing and producing
school productions for the past three years. Anthony recieved much media
attention for his opera, 'Troy', which he wrote whilst still a schoolboy
at Shrewsbury.
Since then he has worked on many productions as Musical Director
both here and overseas. Andrew began his writing career with Ash Logan,
producing ideas for 'Weekending' and many unfinished comedy scripts!
The idea for TRAFALGAR came about on a golfing
weekend in Norfolk, when it was realised that Nelson had had very limited
exposure on stage or screen (they then worked out that Blood Brothers
was the last British musical about a British subject). Nelson is one of
England's best known and most controversial national heroes and setting
the show on HMS Victory makes it visually stunning - especially the battle
scene. They have set up our own company, 2am Productions and have had
help and interest from Mary Williams at DeWynters.
A demo CD is available, featuring 7 numbers from the show.
amonk3@compuserve.com
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| Tony
Osborne
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Composer
Bass player
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Tony was born
in Slough, Berkshire, on 10th November 1947 and initially studied cello
before finally moving to the double bass. He studied at the Royal Academy
of Music, London, 1966-69 with Richard Stoker for composition and John
Walton for double bass, and so became a busy free-lance bassist in London,
performing with many UK orchestras, BBC Symphony, BBC Concert, Royal
Ballet, Festival Ballet and D'Oyle Carte.
"From an
early age he was introduced to jazz and popular music, influences which
remain important and have combined with his classical training at the
Royal Academy of Music to produce an eclectic range of compositions.
'Jazz is a major influence on my work', he says, 'I was introduced to
it by my brother who taught me a great deal about jazz and classical
music. We listened to Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and a whole range
of jazz greats. And my father was an enormous influence on me. A very
gifted violinist, he played both romantic gypsy music and for silent
movies, and worked with local operatic societies as Music Director.
All of these influences helped to form me as a player and composer'".
Gershwin, Copland
and Bernstein are the three main influences on Osborne. 'I'm often thinking
of Gershwin when I write' he says. 'I admire the rhythm in Copland's
work and the melodies of Bernstein. Russian and French music are also
major influences especially Shostakovich and the lesser known Georgian
composer, Balanchivadze'".
"Through
his enthusiasm for the double bass, composition and teaching, Osborne
has made a unique contribution to the repertoire for that instrument.
As part of a long tradition of composer performers, he continues to
promote music - in all its guises - to a wide audience, ensuring the
popularity of the double bass"
Nigel Tallantire
(Classical Music 26 July 1997)
tony.osborne@vfree.com
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| Jonathan
Posner
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Lyricist
Dramatist
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Jonathan
Posner has been writing lyrics and plays since the early 1980's. His comedy
play Private Eyes
has been performed on a number of occasions and was commended in the 1990
Chalfont Drama Festival.
He has also written lyrics
and full libretti for three Musicals, working in conjunction with a
number of highly talented composers (see Musicals
Showcase).
He also is one half of a
theatrical double act with Jeremy Fletcher, touring venues in South-Eastern
UK as 'Fowle' in John Mortimer's play 'The Dock Brief'.
Love of the movies has also
led him to reviewing films on TV (Collins and Maconie's Movie Club)
and radio (Steve Wright at the Movies) in the UK
jonathan@wordstomusic.co.uk
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| Chris
Smellie
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Composer |
Chris
has recorded 3 albums under the band name Trademark and is currently recording
and producing a live album with the main worship leader, David Hind, at
his home church in Nottingham, UK.
Chris co-wrote and arranged
the show Spirit of History with John Gauntley
and Jonathan Posner, which was premiered in Windsor in 1993.
Other work includes private
music teaching, a tape duplicating business and running his own recording
studio.
chrissmellie@wordspread.freeserve.co.uk
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