Robert Draper, a participant composer in the upcoming International Composers’ Festival, has strong views as to how classical music should be – and they’re not in accord with the thinking of modern academia. Music, he believes, has greater worth when borne of instinct; when a product of the soul. HOT’s Chris Cormack interviews him on his ideas and the music. Come to the International Composers’ Festival and find out more.
As we came out of our third concert in two days of the second International Composers Festival, someone said “In the end, I’d prefer to hear some Beethoven”, thus showing he had entirely missed the point of this wonderful event. Beethoven can be heard in bucketfuls on the radio and in concert halls. We had had the unique opportunity to hear works recently created by some prodigiously talented composers, and performed by equally talented musicians, writes Antony Mair.
The second Hastings International Composers Festival is now just days away and there will be an influx into the town of some great musical talent from near and far to complement the surprising diversity of local talent that we enjoy in this great town. HOT’s Chris Cormack describes the various delights in store.
