Norman Symonds

Norman Alec Symonds (* December 23, 1920 at 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 representative of the Third Stream.

Life and work

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

Until 1966 he was a member of the band of Benny Louis, in addition, he served as a clarinettist, saxophonist and arranger in the bands of Leo Romanelli and Bobby Gimby. He also headed from 1953 to 1957 an own jazz octet, which over time, inter alia, Ed Bickert, Ron Collier, Ross Culley, Bernie Piltch, Jack Richardson and Jerry Toth belonged.

In 1957 his Concerto Grosso by Ron Colliers Quartet and the CBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Victor Field Brill premiered and recorded on disk. Collier played the piece with the Tri - City Symphony Orchestra Davenport (Iowa) and 1966 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Other Third Stream compositions were, inter alia, Autumn Nocturne (UA, 1960, with CBC String Orchestra and Rick Wilkins, saxophone), The Nameless Hour ( UA in 1966 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Fred Stone, flugelhorn, and later in a piano version with Duke Ellington ) and The Democratic Concerto, commissioned by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

After a five-month journey through Canada, the three ten-part CBC Radio series Travelling Big Lonely with Symonds emerged as an author and storyteller, as well as compositions that reflected his impressions of the landscape and nature of Canada 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. Furthermore, Symonds wrote radio plays and stage music, several operas and incidental music for young people like 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 Jazz Musicians Ten 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 a solo instrument and string orchestra, 1966
  • Tensions, ballet for jazz quintet and orchestra, 1966
  • Democratic Concerto for Jazz Quartet and Orchestra, 1967
  • Impetus for orchestra, 1969
  • The Story of a Wind ( Concerto for TV) for narrator and Jazz Ensemble, 1970
  • Man, Inc., a multimedia stage work for jazz orchestra, three voices, percussion, dancers and actors, 1970
  • Three Atmospheres for orchestra, 1971
  • A Diversion for Woodwind Quintet, 1972
  • Deep Ground, Long Waters for medium or deep voice, flute and piano, 1972
  • The Land ( Concerto for TV) for narrator, voice and Jazz Ensemble, 1973.
  • Laura and the Lieutenant, musical play for children, 1974
  • The Canterville Ghost ( 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 synthesizer, 1977
  • Forest and Sky for orchestra, 1977
  • Lady of the Night, opera, 1977
  • Episode At Big Quill, Radio Theatre for Youth Choir and actor, percussion and narrator, 1979
  • At the Shore: A Sea Image for choir and percussion, 1979
  • Harvest chorale for chorus, 1979
  • Lullaby for choir, 1979
  • Pity the Children Choir for 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, singers, 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 singer - actor and jazz quartet, 1990
Nelson (British Columbia) Halifax Regional Municipality Rick Wilkins (musician) Fred Stone (musician) Name Authority File
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