Simon Proctor
Encyclopedia
Simon Proctor is a British
composer
, pianist
, and flautist
, known for his works for unusual instruments.
His best known work, the Concerto for Serpent and Orchestra, was written in 1987 when the composer was attached to the University of South Carolina
. Its premiere, with the soloist Alan Lumsden and the University of South Carolina Chamber Orchestra under Donald Portnoy, was at the First International Serpent Festival on 21 October 1989. Douglas Yeo
performed it again on 31 March 1997 at New England Conservatory, and then on 29 and 30 May 1997 with the Boston Pops Orchestra
conducted by John Williams
, both in Boston
.
Other compositions include his concerto for keyed bugle. The Amherst Suite also features the serpent
. He composed a Jubilee Fanfare for the Bicentennial, which was attended by the Duke of Edinburgh.
He has also composed a great number of other less well-known works, including concertos for the organ, trumpet, tuba, and many works for solo piano including a seven-part fugue.
He composed a symphony, which included a hand bell ensemble, for the Lincoln Park Academy
Orchestra in 1998. ad
He composed a James Bond Piano Concerto. This had its world premiere on 20 February 2010 in Cadogan Hall, London. It was performed by the London Gay Symphony Orchestra. Thomas Pandolfi was the solo pianist.
Proctor is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music
. He lives in Maidstone, Kent and teaches piano and harmony at the Kent Music centre, where he frequently performs, and several other schools in the area.
He has made two CDs of his compositions, Sounds of Kent – Piano (recorded by 12 year old Tyler Hay), and Sounds of Kent – Woodwind (recorded by the Pneuma Quintet, a wind quintet of students from the Royal Academy of Music). A movement from his Ophicleide
Concerto has been recorded by Nick Byrne and David Miller. His Serpent Concerto was recorded by Douglas Yeo
on the CD Le Monde du Serpent.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
, known for his works for unusual instruments.
His best known work, the Concerto for Serpent and Orchestra, was written in 1987 when the composer was attached to the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. Its premiere, with the soloist Alan Lumsden and the University of South Carolina Chamber Orchestra under Donald Portnoy, was at the First International Serpent Festival on 21 October 1989. Douglas Yeo
Douglas Yeo
Douglas Yeo is bass trombonist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where he holds the John Moors Cabot Bass Trombone Chair...
performed it again on 31 March 1997 at New England Conservatory, and then on 29 and 30 May 1997 with the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
conducted by John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
, both in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Other compositions include his concerto for keyed bugle. The Amherst Suite also features the serpent
Serpent (instrument)
A serpent is a bass wind instrument, descended from the cornett, and a distant ancestor of the tuba, with a mouthpiece like a brass instrument but side holes like a woodwind. It is usually a long cone bent into a snakelike shape, hence the name. The serpent is closely related to the cornett,...
. He composed a Jubilee Fanfare for the Bicentennial, which was attended by the Duke of Edinburgh.
He has also composed a great number of other less well-known works, including concertos for the organ, trumpet, tuba, and many works for solo piano including a seven-part fugue.
He composed a symphony, which included a hand bell ensemble, for the Lincoln Park Academy
Lincoln Park Academy
Lincoln Park Academy is a public magnet school located in Fort Pierce, Florida. Commonly referred to as simply "LPA", the school is academically geared, offering Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual-enrollment, and pre-engineering course schedules...
Orchestra in 1998. ad
He composed a James Bond Piano Concerto. This had its world premiere on 20 February 2010 in Cadogan Hall, London. It was performed by the London Gay Symphony Orchestra. Thomas Pandolfi was the solo pianist.
Proctor is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
. He lives in Maidstone, Kent and teaches piano and harmony at the Kent Music centre, where he frequently performs, and several other schools in the area.
He has made two CDs of his compositions, Sounds of Kent – Piano (recorded by 12 year old Tyler Hay), and Sounds of Kent – Woodwind (recorded by the Pneuma Quintet, a wind quintet of students from the Royal Academy of Music). A movement from his Ophicleide
Ophicleide
The ophicleide is a family of conical bore, brass keyed-bugles. It has a similar shape to the sudrophone.- History :The ophicleide was invented in 1817 and patented in 1821 by French instrument maker Jean Hilaire Asté as an extension to the keyed bugle or Royal Kent bugle family...
Concerto has been recorded by Nick Byrne and David Miller. His Serpent Concerto was recorded by Douglas Yeo
Douglas Yeo
Douglas Yeo is bass trombonist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where he holds the John Moors Cabot Bass Trombone Chair...
on the CD Le Monde du Serpent.
Works
- Rhapsody No. 17 (piano)
- Nocturne is silver and blue (piano)
- Paganini Metamorphosis (piano)
- Beauchamp Dances (piano)
- Windy City (piano)
- Euphonious Nocturne (piano)
- Nocturne at Lake Maggiore (piano)
- Rhapsody No. 21 (piano)
- The Three of Harps (piano)
- The Jester (flute, oboe, clarinet)
- Eos (alto saxophone, piano)
- Vögul VI (flute, piano)
- Vögul IX (flute, piano)
- Vögul X (flute, piano)
- Pnuemusic (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon)
- Wippernapper (piccolo, piano)