Robert Peate
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    • All Chamber Ensemble Choral Large Ensemble Solo
      Solo

      Morlich Meditation

      April 28, 2021

      Solo

      Sylva Suite

      August 1, 2019

      Choral

      Book of Rounds

      May 26, 2019

      Choral

      …Luciferum…

      April 24, 2019

      Chamber Ensemble

      Stone Study no.2 – Cave and Cliff

      March 20, 2018

      Chamber Ensemble

      Shadow Play

      January 26, 2018

      Chamber Ensemble

      Five Winter Tableaux

      January 26, 2018

      Chamber Ensemble

      Three Idylls

      January 26, 2018

      Choral

      Book of Rounds

      May 26, 2019

      Choral

      …Luciferum…

      April 24, 2019

      Choral

      Garden Days

      January 27, 2018

      Choral

      Snail Litany

      January 27, 2018

      Large Ensemble

      Viderunt Omnes

      January 26, 2018

      Large Ensemble

      Lullay

      January 26, 2018

      Large Ensemble

      Sinfonia Concertante

      January 26, 2018

      Large Ensemble

      Juno in August

      January 26, 2018

      Solo

      Morlich Meditation

      April 28, 2021

      Solo

      Sylva Suite

      August 1, 2019

      Solo

      Under the Rowan Tree

      March 19, 2018

      Solo

      Pearl III

      January 27, 2018

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Robert Peate

COMPOSER

  • About
  • Works
    • All Chamber Ensemble Choral Large Ensemble Solo
      Solo

      Morlich Meditation

      April 28, 2021

      Solo

      Sylva Suite

      August 1, 2019

      Choral

      Book of Rounds

      May 26, 2019

      Choral

      …Luciferum…

      April 24, 2019

      Chamber Ensemble

      Stone Study no.2 – Cave and Cliff

      March 20, 2018

      Chamber Ensemble

      Shadow Play

      January 26, 2018

      Chamber Ensemble

      Five Winter Tableaux

      January 26, 2018

      Chamber Ensemble

      Three Idylls

      January 26, 2018

      Choral

      Book of Rounds

      May 26, 2019

      Choral

      …Luciferum…

      April 24, 2019

      Choral

      Garden Days

      January 27, 2018

      Choral

      Snail Litany

      January 27, 2018

      Large Ensemble

      Viderunt Omnes

      January 26, 2018

      Large Ensemble

      Lullay

      January 26, 2018

      Large Ensemble

      Sinfonia Concertante

      January 26, 2018

      Large Ensemble

      Juno in August

      January 26, 2018

      Solo

      Morlich Meditation

      April 28, 2021

      Solo

      Sylva Suite

      August 1, 2019

      Solo

      Under the Rowan Tree

      March 19, 2018

      Solo

      Pearl III

      January 27, 2018

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  • Teaching
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The Bells

(2015) – 12 Trumpets, 2 Percussion, Piano, Organ, SATB soli, SATB chorus, 2 Db

The idea to set Edgar Allen Poe’s four part poem The Bells came from a number of ideas that I had brewing at the time, and my choice of text was in fact the final piece of the puzzle which served to crystallise my more nebulous intentions for a large-scale choral work.

Bells have always seemed to me to be the sound of civilisation. Almost every country has bells of some kind imbedded in their culture, to the extent that the sound of bells can seem almost like a natural, primal sound. Certainly in this piece I thought of bells as a kind of sonic symbol for humanity, embodying human activity and experience. The sound of bells reflects more than just a forging of cultures however, and in writing this music they came to mirror more contemporary themes, most notably the prevalence of religious fundamentalism and the attack on innocence all too common at the time.

The manner in which bells often begin as a clear, defined, even optimistic statement, before gradually descending into a clamorous and overbearing celebration of chaos and obsession; suggested an apt analogy for how religious ideology can move from love, clarity and a generosity of spirit, through to dogmatic control and blind acts of violence. I had this analogy loosely in mind before deciding on the text, and on reading The Bells, I found that the poem moved in the same direction; from innocence towards destruction and loss. As soon as I’d read the poem through I knew this was the vehicle I needed to give structure to my ideas, and almost as immediately decided on the instrumentation.

The music is ultimately a setting of Poe’s evocative poem, however the effect of various fundamentalist sensibilities and terrorist acts at the time made its mark on my approach to the text, most notably perhaps in the way the Soprano solo from the bright and innocent first movement is restated and bludgeoned into extinction at the raging climax of the third movement. This and other aspects of the work may be seen to reflect contemporary events, however at its heart this piece is a celebration and exploration of the sound of bells, albeit with an unresolved and somewhat pessimistic edge.

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Garden Days

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Bike ride, butties, blackberries and bales - berfe Bike ride, butties, blackberries and bales - berfect!! 🌞👌
Who needs a park when you have bales!? Who needs a park when you have bales!?
Lovin’ life! 🥰 Lovin’ life! 🥰
Day after my first moderna jab - felt a bit peaky Day after my first moderna jab - felt a bit peaky but still dressed up for the kids!
Lovely bit o Bala! Lovely bit o Bala!
Checking in with the locals! Checking in with the locals!
It's that time again! 🐝 It's that time again! 🐝
Looking forward to the premiere of my Sylva Suite Looking forward to the premiere of my Sylva Suite tonight in Hay-on-Wye. Written for harpist Alexandra Guiraud, the suite features musical portraits of 5 trees: Yew, Birch, Cherry, 'Spectred Oaks' and Mountain Ash. Here are two excerpts from 'Spectred Oaks' and Mountain Ash 🌲 🎶 - hope they leaf you pining for more! 😂🤦‍♂️
Instagram post 18000886120104468 Instagram post 18000886120104468

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