SOLOMONS, David Warin (1953- ); ENG [Free audio] Amol iz geven a Mayse [4:06 · 3.8M] [Free audio] As Gleams the Rosebud [2:43 · 2.5M] [Free audio] Beetles' Wings [3:22 · 3.1M] Mass for Men's Voices and Organ [Free audio] Agnus Dei [3:01 · 2.8M] Gentlemen of the Manchester Cathedral Voluntary Choir Jeffrey Makinson, Conductor [Free audio] My Love [3:22 · 3.1M] [Free audio] Octatonic Rag for piano [4:04 · 3.7M] A.Anderson, Piano [Free audio] A sequence for Alun's poetry [11:47 · 10.8M] S.Rennert, Soprano D.W.Solomons, Alto, Guitar, Electronics [Free audio] Summer is i-cumen in [2:54 · 2.7M] (improvised a cappella version of this traditional round) [Free audio] Voyelles [2:20 · 2.1M] (Poem by Arthur Rimbaud)

David W. Solomons

Born in Oxford, England, in 1953, David W. Solomons is a self-taught composer and singer. After a few years of violin lessons, he transferred his allegiance to the classical guitar and began composing in a predominantly classical style. Once he had confirmed his voice in the contratenor range he began to write for contratenor and guitar and started to experiment with various modes, including Dorian and Octatonic (the mode of limited transposition belovèd of Messiaen) and the various turns of modality found in the Jewish music of his too too distant ancestors.

As he began to make the acquaintance of other performers, and as his own guitar playing had to cease eventually, due to RSI, his composing repertoire branched out into many other types of chamber work, including brass and string quartets, organ solos and vocal ensembles. Many of these works have now been published by Da Capo Music in the UK and various publishing houses in the United States of America and France. He has also written larger-scale pieces such as the Hubbard Saga (based on Old Mother Hubbard), commissioned by Sale Festival and performed in 2001, and the Mass for Men’s voices and organ and the Manchester Magnificat performed in Manchester Cathedral in 1999 and 1994 respectively.

David's style, though really sui generis, is still somewhat classical in approach, if only because the important aspect for him is memorable melody. He would like to think that the audience could leave the concert hall humming his tunes as well as chuckling under their breath at his graceful chutzpah, when it comes to breaking the classical rules of polyphony!