Journal Entries
Four Songs from Northern Seas
May 27, 2026
Leeds Lieder+, The Venue, Leeds I had been commissioned to write four songs for the Leeds biennial lieder festival, Leeds Lieder+, and I set four poems by the Scottish poet George Bruce, whose work I have now set a number of times.
Philip Jeck
March 31, 2022
Philip Jeck died peacefully on Friday, March 25th. He was a good friend, an unclassifiable artist who produced the most poetic music imaginable (and yet to be imagined). He was without doubt a genius and a very lovely man.
Conducting RSNO at Sonica
March 22, 2022
On March 12th I was to join forces with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for a spectacular performance at Cryptic’s Sonica Glasgow 2022. There were three works: Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, Arvo Pärt’s If Bach Had Been a Beekeeper and the UK premiere of my Viola Concerto (A Hut in Toyama) with Morgan Goff on viola.
Cambridge Concert postscript
August 21, 2021
Cambridge Summer Music Festival, West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge The Gavin Bryars Ensemble was to perform at the Cambridge Summer Music Festival on July 20, 2021, this being our first live performance since December 8th, 2019, when we’d performed the 50th anniversary concert of The Sinking of the Titanic (1969-) at Kings Place, London.
Dark Mofo – Hobart
August 19, 2021
My Viola Concerto had been originally written for performance at the 2020 Dark Mofo Festival. Although the festival was cancelled the commission went ahead and I intended to finish it before the original planned performance date in mid-June.
Conrad Cork
May 24, 2021
I was very sorry to learn of the death at the end of April of Conrad Cork, who was a close friend and colleague for many years though we had become estranged for some time, something that I deeply regret. He was a terrific jazz saxophonist and immensely knowledgeable about all areas of jazz and its history and is perhaps chiefly remembered in that field for his highly original and pioneering work as a jazz teacher.
Above Water (A song for the East Riding from Goole)
April 27, 2021
I was born in Goole, and never left the town until I went to university and, in spite of living in many different places since, still think of it as
Virginia Anderson
February 3, 2021
Virginia Anderson I was shocked and deeply saddened when I learned of the sudden and unexpected death early last Saturday morning (January 30) of my friend Virginia Anderson, clarinettist, musicologist and teacher and the most knowledgeable, thorough and insightful of all writers on English and American experimental music, a subject that she both understood and for which she had a rare passion.
Robert Stutley (1953-2020)
December 12, 2020
I was deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected death of Robert Stutley early on Tuesday morning. I received a message from his wife Margaret and spoke with her on the phone at some length.
French Book on Gavin Bryars
November 28, 2020
For the last three years or so, the French writer Jean-Louis Tallon has conducted interviews with me at various locations in France – when I was involved with performances there – at my home in Billesdon, and eventually by Skype during the lockdown.
Singers
October 10, 2020
Recently, John Potter asked to let him have a list of the singers I’ve worked with over the years, a list that became bigger and bigger as I looked back. Here it is – with some caveats towards the end…
Full orchestra version of Jesus’ Blood
September 29, 2020
Almost 50 years after its composition, and after many different versions of the piece, my publisher Schott has put together material for a fixed 30 minute orchestral version of Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.
Madrigals – Petrarch settings
September 22, 2020
After writing what became my First Book of Madrigals for the Hilliard Ensemble, setting texts by Blake Morrison, starting in 1998, I turned to Petrarch for my second book. Coincidentally the first four madrigals in Book One happened to be written on Mondays and so I wrote each of the remaining ones on Mondays too.
Working in the lockdown – continued
September 15, 2020
In June I wrote a journal entry about life here in the current situation, and I talked about music that I’d been writing and music that I planned to write. So here’s an update on those plans/ambitions…
Billesdon Parish Magazine
September 14, 2020
I moved to Billesdon in 1992 and from a few years earlier there had been a monthly magazine, Billesdon and District Parish New and Views, that continues to this day. Until the beginning of this year the editor was Rosie Black.
Working in the lockdown
June 14, 2020
Since I came back from the performance of Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet in Bornem, Belgium on March 6th, I have been at home, along with my son Yuri, who joined me on March 13 as his university had closed down.
Lee Konitz
April 8, 2020
An account of my work with Lee Konitz is given in the Audio Journal section of this web site, where there are also three tracks from a live 1966 recording.
Biped CNDC Angers Sept 2018-Dec 2019
April 6, 2020
Biped with CNDC Angers I saw the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for the first time in November 1966 when they performed for two weeks at the Saville Theatre, London.
Greasborough Working Men’s Club
April 6, 2020
Still photograph Greasborough From left to right: Terry Herrington, piano; GB, bass; Gordon —, drums; Dennis Rumble, Hammond Organ.In centre, with back to camera, comedian Jack Rigby, who I worked with several times and who always finished his act with the “Egyptian” sand dance, made “famous” by Wilson, Keppel and Betty…
Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet
March 6, 2020
Dido & Orfeo/Jesus’ Blood Pieter Stas, cellist with the Goeyvaerts String Trio, who had performed with me in Dundalk 2018, organised a performance of Jesus’ Blood as part of a week-long festival of new music at the Cultural Centre Ter Dilft in Bornem, Belgium.
Marilyn Forever 2020
February 8, 2020
I was invited to the German premiere of Marilyn Forever at the Saarland Opera. This is the sixth different production of the opera and contained many things that had not appeared in others – all entirely justified and successful.
New Website
February 6, 2020
Welcome to my new website – completely redesigned by Larry Larson, and with input from my daughters Ziella (Twitter), Orlanda (YouTube and video) and Mashka (Instagram)
String Quartet no. 4
February 4, 2020
At the beginning February my fourth string quartet was performed in the beautiful Teatro Verdi, Pisa by the Smith Quartet for whom it was commissioned.
Egil’s Saga in Reykjavik
January 29, 2020
At the end of January as part of the Dark Music Days Festival in Iceland, Rúni Brattaberg sang From Egil’s Saga, a setting in 12th century Icelandic of poetry by the Viking warrior-hero Egil Skallagrimsson from one of the greatest Saga stories Egil’s Saga.