Norman Symonds

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Norman Alec Symonds (born December 23, 1920 in Nelson / British Columbia , † August 21, 1998 in Toronto ) was a Canadian composer, clarinetist, saxophonist and band leader. He is considered one of the most important Canadian representatives of the Third Stream .

Live and act

Symonds began playing the clarinet as a teenager and was a member of a Dixieland band under the direction of Bucky Adams during his service with the Royal Canadian Navy from 1938-45 in Halifax . From 1945 to 1948 he studied clarinet, piano, music theory and harmony at the Toronto Conservatory and then took private composition lessons with Gordon Delamont .

Until 1966 he was a member of Benny Louis ' band , he also worked as a clarinetist, saxophonist and arranger in the bands of Leo Romanelli and Bobby Gimby . In addition, from 1953 to 1957 he directed his own jazz group, which over the course of time u. a. Ed Bickert , Ron Collier , Ross Culley , Bernie Piltch , Jack Richardson, and Jerry Toth .

In 1957 his Concerto Grosso was premiered and recorded on record by Ron Collier's Quartet and the CBC Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Victor Feldbrill . Collier also played the piece with the Tri-City Symphony Orchestra in Davenport, Iowa and in 1966 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra .

Other third stream compositions included a. Autumn Nocturne (premiere 1960 with the CBC String Orchestra and Rick Wilkins , saxophone), The Nameless Hour (premiere 1966 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Fred Stone , flugelhorn, later also in a piano version with Duke Ellington ) and The Democratic Concerto , a commissioned work of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra .

After a five-month trip through Canada, the thirteen-part CBC radio series Traveling Big Lonely was created with Symonds as author and narrator, as well as compositions that reflected his impressions of the landscape and nature of Canada such as Big Lonely (1975), The Story of a Wind , The Land , Four Images of Nature , Forest and Sky and From the Eye of the Wind . Symonds also composed radio plays and drama music, several operas and stage music for young people such as Laura and the Lieutenant (1974) and Sam (1976).

Works

  • Fugue for Reeds and Brass , 1952
  • Concerto for Jazz Octet , 1955
  • Concerto for Jazz Octet , 1956
  • Hambourg Suite for jazz ensemble, 1956
  • Fugue for Shearing for piano and jazz ensemble, 1957
  • Concerto Grosso for jazz quintet and orchestra, 1957
  • A Six Movement Suite for Ten Jazz Musicians plus Four Songs and Incidental Music , 1959
  • Age of Anxiety , radio play music for Jazztentett, 1959
  • Autumn Nocturne for saxophone and string orchestra, 1960
  • Opera for Six Voices , radio opera for six voices, jazz band and string orchestra, 1962
  • Pastel Blue for string orchestra, 1963
  • Fair Wind for jazz ensemble, 1965
  • The Nameless Hour for improvising solo instrument and string orchestra, 1966
  • Tensions , ballet for jazz quintet and orchestra, 1966
  • Democratic Concerto for jazz quartet and orchestra, 1967
  • Impulse for orchestra, 1969
  • The Story of a Wind (Concerto for TV) for narrator and jazz ensemble, 1970
  • Man, Inc. , multimedia stage work for jazz orchestra, three voices, percussion, dancer and actor, 1970
  • Three Atmospheres for orchestra, 1971
  • 'Charnisay Versus LaTour' (or The Spirit of Fundy) , opera, 1972
  • A Diversion for wind quintet, 1972
  • Deep Ground, Long Waters for medium or low voice, flute and piano, 1972
  • The Land (Concerto for TV) for narrator, voice and jazz ensemble, 1973.
  • Laura and the Lieutenant , musical game for children, 1974
  • The Canterville Ghost (after Oscar Wilde ) for narrator and instrumental ensemble, 1975
  • Big Lonely for orchestra, 1975
  • Bluebeard Lives for string quintet and tape, 1975
  • Four Images of Nature for choir, bass and percussion, 1976
  • Quintet for Clarinet and Synthesizers , 1977
  • Forest and Sky for orchestra, 1977
  • Lady of the Night , Opera, 1977
  • Episode At Big Quill , radio theater for youth choir and actors, percussion and narrator, 1979
  • At the Shore: A Sea Image for choir and percussion, 1979
  • Harvest Choral for Choir, 1979
  • Lullaby for choir, 1979
  • Pity the Children for choir, 1979
  • The Gift of Thanksgiving for orchestra, 1980
  • Spaces I 'The River' for string orchestra, 1980
  • 'Sylvia': An Adult Fairy Tale for Jazz Quartet and Jazz Soloists, 1982
  • The Fall of the Leaf , oratorio music drama for actors-singer, choir and jazz quartet, 1982
  • Elegance for percussion, 1982
  • On An Emerald Sea for orchestra, 1983
  • Salt Wind White Bird for four flutes, 1984
  • Lady Elegance for medium voice and piano, 1986
  • The Eyes of Bidesuk for accordion and jazz orchestra, 1987
  • From The Eye of the Wind for orchestra 1988
  • Sylvia , musical theater for six singers-actors and jazz quartet, 1990

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Symonds, Norman
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Symonds, Norman Alec (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian composer, clarinetist, saxophonist and band leader
DATE OF BIRTH December 23, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH near Nelson (British Columbia)
DATE OF DEATH August 21, 1998
Place of death Toronto