Ian Venables (born 1955) is a British composer of art songs and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

Biography

Ian Venables was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

in 1955 and was educated at Liverpool Collegiate Grammar School. He studied music with

Richard Arnell Richard Anthony Sayer Arnell (15 September 191710 April 2009) was an English composer of classical music. Arnell composed in all the established genres for the concert stage, and his list of works includes six completed symphonies (a seventh wa ...

at the

Trinity College of Music Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music and dance conservatoire based in London, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. The conservatoire has ...

, and later with Andrew Downes,

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...

, and John Joubert at the

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a music school, drama school and concert venue in Birmingham, England. It provides professional education in music, acting, and related disciplines up to postgraduate level. It is a centre for scholarly res ...

. His compositions encompass many genres, and, in particular, he has added significantly to the canon of

English art song The composition of art song in England and English-speaking countries has a long history, beginning with lute song in the late 16th century and continuing today. English Art song in the 17th Century The composition of polyphonic music was at its ...

. Described as "one of the finest song composers of his generation," he has written over eighty works in this genre, which include eleven song-cycles: ''Venetian Songs – Love’s Voice'', Op.22 (1995) and ''Invite to Eternity'' for tenor and string quartet, Op.31 (1997), both recorded;on ''The Songs of Ian Venables'', Enigma Digital ED10045 (2000)
/ref> ''Songs of Eternity and Sorrow'' for tenor, string quartet, and piano, Op.36 (2004); ''On the Wings of Love'' for tenor, clarinet, and piano, Op.38 (2006); ''The Pine Boughs Past Music'' for baritone and piano, Op.39 (2010); ''Remember This'', Op.40, (2011); ''The Song of the Severn'' for baritone, string quartet, and piano, Op.43 (2013); ''Through These Pale Cold Days'' for tenor, viola and piano Op.46 (2016); ''The Last Invocation'' for tenor and piano,Op.50 (2018); ''Portraits of a Mind'' for tenor, string quartet, and piano, Op.54 (2022); ''Out of the Shadows'' for baritone, violin, 'cello and piano, Op.55 (2023); Other songs for solo voice and piano include ''Two Songs'', Op.28 (1997) and ''Six Songs'', Op.33 (1999–2003), ''A Dramatic Scena – At the Court of the Poisoned Rose'' for counter-tenor and piano, Op. 20 (1994). His songs have been performed by national and internationally acclaimed artists that include:

Roderick Williams Roderick Gregory Coleman Williams OBE (born 1965) is a British baritone and composer. Biography Williams was born in North London to a Welsh father and a Jamaican mother. He attended Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford and Haberdashers' ...

, James Gilchrist,

Patricia Rozario Patricia Maria Rozario is an Indian-born British soprano. Born and educated in Bombay, India, she went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She has performed at the English National Opera, Opera North, Glyndebour ...

, Andrew Kennedy,

Ian Partridge Ian Partridge (born 12 June 1938) is a retired English lyric tenor, whose repertoire ranged from Monteverdi, Bach and Handel, the Elizabethan lute songs, German, French and English songs, through to Schoenberg, Weill and Britten, and on to conte ...

Allan Clayton Allan James Clayton (1981) is a British tenor singer. Clayton was a chorister at Worcester Cathedral and a choral scholar in the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge. He was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2007-09 and winner of the Royal Ph ...

, Caroline MacPhie, Mary Bevan, Brian Thorsett, Susan Bickley, Benjamin Hulett, Sally Porter Munro,

Benjamin Appl Benjamin Appl (born 26 June 1982) is a German-British lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in opera houses and concert halls, particularly known as a Lieder singer. Early life and education Born in Regensburg, Appl ...

, Geraldine McGreevy, Alessandro Fisher, Nicky Spence, Daniel Norman, Howard Wong, Nathan Vale, Michael Lampard, Peter Savidge, Kevin McLean-Mair, Mary Plazas, Peter Wilman, Nicholas Mulroy,

Nick Pritchard Nick may refer to: * Nick (given name) * A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat * British slang for being arrested * British slang for a police station * British slang for stealing * Short for nickname Pla ...

, Elizabeth Atherton, Kristian Sorensen and Ciara Hendrick. His many chamber works include the Piano Quintet, Op.27 (1995), described by Roderic Dunnett in

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

as "lending a new late 20th Century dimension to the English pastoral," and the String Quartet, Op.32 (1998), as well as smaller pieces for solo instruments and piano. He has also written works for choir including the Requiem, Op.48, the anthem ''O God Be Merciful Op.51'', ''Awake, Awake, the World is Young'', Op.34, and the ''Rhapsody'' for organ, Op.25 (1996). There are two recordings of the Requiem He is an acknowledged expert on the 19th century poet and literary critic

John Addington Symonds John Addington Symonds, Jr. (; 5 October 1840 – 19 April 1893) was an English poet and literary critic. A cultural historian, he was known for his work on the Renaissance, as well as numerous biographies of writers and artists. Although m ...

, and apart from having set five of his poems for voice and piano, he has contributed a significant essay to the book ''John Addington Symonds: Culture and the Demon Desire'' (Macmillan Press Ltd, 2000). He is President of the Arthur Bliss Society,Arthur Bliss Society
/ref> a Vice-president of the Gloucester Music Society, and Chairman of the Ivor Gurney Society. His continuing work on the music of Gurney has led to 2003 orchestrations of two of his songs, counterparts to two that by

Herbert Howells Herbert Norman Howells (17 October 1892 – 23 February 1983) was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music. Life Background and early education Howells was born in Lydney, Gloucest ...

, and newly edited versions of Gurney's ''War Elegy'' (1919) and ''A Gloucestershire Rhapsody'' (1921), with Philip Lancaster. His works have been recorded on the Signum, Somm, Regent and Naxos, and Delphian CD labels. His music is published by Novello & Co (Wise Music Group).

Works list

;Chamber music * ''Elegy'' for cello and piano, Op. 2 (1981) * ''Elegy'' (arr. for viola and piano), Op. 2a (1987) * ''Three Pieces'' for violin and piano, Op. 11 (1986) * ''Diversions'' for brass quintet, (jazz ensemble) Op. 13 (1992) * ''Sonatina'' for oboe and piano, Op. 14 (1995) * ''Three Bridges Suite'' for brass decet (jazz ensemble), Op. 18 (1994) * ''Triptych'' for sixteen brass and two percussion, Op. 21 (1993) * ''Sonata'' for flute (or violin) and piano, Op. 23 (1989) and transcription for violin and piano (2018) * ''Soliloquy'' for viola and piano, Op. 26 (1994) * ''Piano Quintet'' Op. 27 (1989–1996) * ''Poem'' for cello and piano, Op. 29 (1997) * ''String Quartet'' Op. 32 (1997–1998) * ''The Moon Sails Out'' for cello and piano, Op. 42 (2010) * ''It Rains'' (arr for cello and piano), Op. 33a (2016) * ''At Malvern'' (arr for cello and piano), Op. 24a (2016) * ''In Memoriam I.B.G'' (arr for cello and piano), Op. 39, No 4a (2016) * '' Canzonetta for Clarinet and String Quartet'' Op. 44 (2013) ;Organ * ''Rhapsody'' for organ, Op. 25 (1996) ;Piano * ''Sonata (1975)'' In Memoriam D.S.C.H Op. 1 (revised 1984) * ''The Stourhead Follies'' Four Romantic Impressions Op. 4 (1985) * ''Three Short Pieces'' Op. 5 (1986) * ''Impromptu'' The Nightingale and the Rose Op. 8 (1996) * ''Portrait of Janis'' Op. 9 (2000) and an arrangement for 12 string instruments (2019) * ''Caprice'' Op. 35 (2001) ;Choral * ''O Sing Aloud to God'', Anthem for S.A.T.B and organ, Op. 19 (1993) * ''Awake! awake, the world is young'', Anthem for chorus, mezzo-soprano, brass, percussion and organ, (with optional strings) Op.34 (1999) * ''While shepherds watched their flocks by night'', Carol for S.A.T.B and organ, (2001) * ''Requiem '' Op. 48 for S.A.T.B and organ, (2020) * ''Requiem '' Op. 48a for S.A.T.B and Orchestra (2021) * ''God Be Merciful '' Op.51 for S.A.T.B and organ, (2021) * ''Versicles and Responses '' for S.A.T.B and organ, (2022) ;Vocal * ''Midnight Lamentation'' for voice and piano, Op. 6 (1974); words by

Harold Monro Harold Edward Monro (14 March 1879 – 16 March 1932) was an English poet born in Brussels, Belgium. As the proprietor of the Poetry Bookshop in London, he helped many poets to bring their work before the public. Life and career Monro was born ...

* ''Pain'' for voice and piano, Op. 10 (1991); words by

Ivor Gurney Ivor Bertie Gurney (28 August 1890 – 26 December 1937) was an English poet and composer, particularly of songs. He was born and raised in Gloucester. He suffered from bipolar disorder through much of his life and spent his last 15 years in ps ...

* ''A Kiss'' for voice and piano or string quartet, Op. 15 (1992); words by

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Word ...

* ''Easter Song'' for voice and piano, Op. 16 (1992); words by Edgar Billingham * ''At the Court of the Poisoned Rose'' for voice and piano, Op. 20 (1994); words by Marion Angus * ''Love's Voice – Four Venetian Songs'', song cycle for tenor and piano, Op. 22 (1995); words by

:# Fortunate Isles :# The Passing Stranger :# Invitation to the Gondola (also for baritone and piano) :# Love's Voice * ''At Malvern'' for voice and piano, Op. 24 (1998); words by

* ''Flying Crooked'' and ''At Midnight'' for voice and piano or string quartet, Op. 28 (1997–1998); words by

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...

and

Edna St. Vincent Millay Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. She wrote much of he ...

* ''Acton Burnell'' for tenor, viola and piano, Op. 30 (1997); words by Rennie Parker * ''Invite to Eternity'', song cycle for tenor and string quartet, Op. 31 (1997); words by

John Clare John Clare (13 July 1793 – 20 May 1864) was an English poet. The son of a farm labourer, he became known for his celebrations of the English countryside and sorrows at its disruption. His work underwent major re-evaluation in the late 20th ce ...

:# Born upon an Angel's Breast :# An Invite to Eternity :# Evening Bells :# I am * ''Six Songs'' for voice and piano, Op. 33 (1999–2003); words by Jennifer Andrews, Edward Thomas,

Ernest Dowson Ernest Christopher Dowson (2 August 186723 February 1900) was an English poet, novelist, and short-story writer who is often associated with the Decadent movement. Biography Ernest Dowson was born in Lee, then in Kent, in 1867. His great-uncle ...

, Charles Bennett,

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

and

Theodore Roethke Theodore Huebner Roethke ( ; May 25, 1908 – August 1, 1963) was an American poet. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential poets of his generation, having won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1954 for his book ''The Wa ...

:# The Way Through :# It Rains :# Vitae summa brevis :# The November Piano :# Break, break, break :# The Hippo (also for voice and string quartet) * ''Songs of Eternity and Sorrow'', song cycle for tenor, string quartet and piano, Op. 36 (2003); words by

A. E. Housman Alfred Edward Housman (; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936) was an English classical scholar and poet. After an initially poor performance while at university, he took employment as a clerk in London and established his academic reputation by pub ...

:# Easter Hymn :# When Green Buds Hang :# Oh, Who is That Young Sinner :# Because I Liked You Better * ''Songs of Eternity and Sorrow'', song cycle arranged for tenor and piano, Op. 36a (2005) * ''Songs'' for soprano and piano, Op. 37 (2004, 2008); words by

, Elizabeth Jennings and

Robert Nicholls Sir Robert Dove Nicholls (27 June 1889 – 18 January 1970) was an Australian politician who represented the South Australian House of Assembly seats of Stanley from 1915 to 1938 and Young from 1938 to 1956 for the Liberal and Country League a ...

:# Love Lives Beyond :# Friendship :# Aurelia * ''On the Wings of Love'', six songs for tenor, clarinet and piano, Op. 38 (2006); words by

Constantine P. Cavafy Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Πέτρου Καβάφης ; April 29 (April 17, OS), 1863 – April 29, 1933), known, especially in English, as Constantine P. Cavafy and often published as C. P. Cavafy (), was a Gree ...

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

Jean de Sponde Jean de Sponde (''Joanes Ezponda''; 1557 in Basque – 18 March 1595) was a Baroque French poet. Biography Born at Mauléon, in what is now Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Jean de Sponde was raised in an austere Protestant family in the Basque region ...

Emperor Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...

and

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

:# Ionian Song :# The Moon Sails Out :# Sonnets of Love, No XI :# Animula Vagula, Blandula :# Reluctance :# When You Are Old * ''The Pine Boughs Past Music'', song cycle for baritone and piano, Op. 39 (2009); words by

and Leonard Clark :# The Wind :# Soft Rain :# My Heart Makes Songs on Lonely Roads :# In Memoriam – Ivor Gurney * ''Remember This'', Cantata for soprano, tenor, string quartet, piano Op. 40 (2008–2011); words by

Andrew Motion Sir Andrew Motion (born 26 October 1952) is an English poet, novelist, and biographer, who was Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. During the period of his laureateship, Motion founded the Poetry Archive, an online resource of poems and audio reco ...

* ''Eight Songs'' for baritone or mezzo-soprano and piano, Op. 41 (2011–); words by

Philip Larkin Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, '' The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, '' Jill'' (1946) and '' A Girl in Winter'' (1 ...

, Geoffrey Scott,

Francis William Bourdillon Francis William Bourdillon (22 March 1852 at Runcorn, Cheshire, England – 13 January 1921 at Buddington, Midhurst) was a British poet and translator. He is known also as a bibliophile. Life Born at Trinity Parsonage, Halton Road, Runcorn, Ches ...

Galway Kinnell Galway Mills Kinnell (February 1, 1927 – October 28, 2014) was an American poet. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his 1982 collection, ''Selected Poems'' and split the National Book Award for Poetry with Charles Wright. From 1989 to 19 ...

Walter de la Mare Walter John de la Mare (; 25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for a highly acclaimed selection of ...

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

John Masefield John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate from 1930 until 1967. Among his best known works are the children's novels ''The Midnight Folk'' and ''The Box of Delights'', and the poem ...

, W.B.Yeats :# Frutta di mare :# The Night Has a Thousand Eyes :# In a Palor Containing a Table :# Cut Grass :# Little Old Cupid :# Chamber Music III :# On Eastnor Knoll :# What Then? * ''The Song of the Severn'', song cycle for baritone, string quartet and piano, Op. 43 (2013); words by

, A.E. Housman, John Drinkwater and Philip Worner :# On Malvern Hill :# How Clear, How Lovely Bright :# Elgar's Music :# Laugh And Be Merry :# The River In December * ''The Song of the Severn'', song cycle for baritone and symphony orchestra, Op. 43a (2022), orchestrated by Vincent Onken * ''I caught the changes of the year'', song for soprano and piano, Op. 45 (2011); words by John Drinkwater * ''Through These Pale Cold Days'', song cycle for tenor, viola and piano, Op.46 (2016); words by

Wilfred Owen Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC (18 March 1893 – 4 November 1918) was an English poet and soldier. He was one of the leading poets of the First World War. His war poetry on the horrors of trenches and gas warfare was much influenced by ...

, Francis St Vincent Morris,

Isaac Rosenberg Isaac Rosenberg (25 November 1890 – 1 April 1918) was an English poet and artist. His ''Poems from the Trenches'' are recognized as some of the most outstanding poetry written during the First World War. Early life Isaac Rosenberg was born ...

Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both describ ...

and

Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy (27 June 1883 – 8 March 1929) was an English Anglican priest and poet. He was nicknamed "Woodbine Willie" during World War I for giving Woodbine cigarettes to the soldiers he met, as well as spiritual aid ...

:# The Send Off :# Procrastination :# Through These Pale Cold Days :# Suicide In The Trenches :# If You Forget * ''Ask Nothing More of Me'', song for soprano and piano, Op. 47 (2018); words by

Algernon Charles Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as ''Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition ...

* ''No Doctor Today Thank You'', song for tenor and piano, Op. 49 (2019); words by

* ''The Last Invocation'', song cycle for tenor and piano, Op. 50 (2019); words by

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...

:# Shine, Shine, Shine! :# Out of May's Shows Selected :# As At Thy Portals Also Death :# The Last Invocation * ''Hermes Trismegistus'', Dramatic Scena for soprano, viola and piano Op.53 (2022); words by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

* ''Portraits of a Mind'', song cycle for tenor, string quartet and piano, Op. 54 (2022); words by

George Meredith George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but he gradually established a reputation as a novelist. ''The Ord ...

Ursula Vaughan Williams Joan Ursula Penton Vaughan Williams (née Lock, formerly Wood; 15 March 1911 – 23 October 2007) was an English poet and author, and biographer of her second husband, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Biography Born in Valletta, Malta, th ...

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

Christina Rossetti Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English writer of romantic, devotional and children's poems, including "Goblin Market" and "Remember". She also wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in Brit ...

and

:# The Lark Ascending :# Man Makes Delight His Own :# From A Railway Carriage :# Echo :# A Clear Midnight * ''Out Out The Shadows'', song cycle for baritone, violin, 'cello and piano, Op. 55 (2023); words by

Constantine Cavafy Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Πέτρου Καβάφης ; April 29 (April 17, OS), 1863 – April 29, 1933), known, especially in English, as Constantine P. Cavafy and often published as C. P. Cavafy (), was a Gre ...

Horatio Brown Horatio Robert Forbes Brown (16 February 1854 – 19 August 1926) was a Scottish historian who specialized in the history of Venice and Italy. Born in Nice, he grew up in Midlothian, Scotland, was educated in England at Clifton College and Oxfor ...

and Edward Percy Warren :# A The Cafe Door :# Bored :# The Mirror In The Hall :# Dark House :# Love's Olympian Laughter :# Body and Soul

Ivor Gurney

Ian Venables is the Chairman of the

Society and a trustee of the Ivor Gurney Estate. He is currently working on behalf of the Trust to edit for publication some previously unpublished works by Gurney.Ivor Gurney Society
/ref>

References

External links

Ian Venables's web-site, source for education claimsIan Venables's publisher
{{DEFAULTSORT:Venables, Ian British male classical composers 1955 births Living people Alumni of Birmingham Conservatoire British classical composers Musicians from Liverpool Alumni of Trinity College of Music 20th-century British composers 20th-century classical composers 21st-century British musicians 21st-century classical composers 20th-century British male musicians 21st-century British male musicians