Well done BBC Radio 3.  Great to see more information about women composers

Who loves improvising?   I went to see Adam Sutherland and Hamish Napier - two amazing instrumentalists - who have made a thing of it.  They decide what to play once on stage.  They must have an amazing understanding of each other and huge repertoires.  

This is what I'm listening to today.    Enjoy.

This is the 2nd movement of a string quartet piece I wrote recently called Sea State.  This movement is "Shore Break".  I hope you like it.  

One of my new compositions for tape and flute

I have been rehearsing all afternoon for a concert tomorrow.  A mash-up of Viennese waltzes and other things including a bit if Delilah by Tom Jones!.  Looking forward to it.

I was istening to, and analysing, Edgard Varèse's Octandre today. Amazing piece for seven wind instruments and bass.  Wonderful dynamics.  I particularly like the third movement.

I am in the middle of writing an orchestral piece featuring brass.  It always good to listen to as much music as possible.  The more you  listen the more it seems to come out when composing or playing. 

I absolutely love baroque music,  Vivaldi, Purcell, Corelli, Telemann.  Here's a beautiful trio sonata in G minor by Handel. I played this about a year ago for a performance.  Loved it.  I also really like the Largo in Handel's other trio sonata in G minor but couldn't find a good Youtube video.   London Baroque do a have gorgeous recording of it.  Anyway here is the largo that I played.

Check out the fantastic avant grade Italian composer, Fausto Romitelli.  

Its International Women's Day today.  Its got me thinking about equality and the women which have been inspirational to me.  For me,  in the music world there are so many, Annie Lennox? Nicola Benedetti, the fantastic Scottish violinist? Bonnie Raitt is a great musician who I have followed for many years.  She keeps producing great work and has a social conscience.  

In politics, its early days but possibly Nicola Sturgeon (well I am a Scot....).    She stands for equality and social justice and has done much for those of us living in Scotland.   Others?  Possibly Marie Curie, the pioneering cancer doctor.

And here is the Vimeo picks of women video makers.  What an inspiration all these women are.