Review of 2021

As I do every year, I try to write a short review of the outgoing year trying to collate all my comings-and-goings and giving some sort of pithy overview of my achievements (or lack thereof). 2021 has proven to be another extremely difficult COVID year, though perhaps not quite the horror-show that 2020 proved to be. It began with another lockdown (with resulting home-schooling and online teaching) and ended with more chaos and uncertainty, but there were moments, glimpses, of something more positive as performances did happen, music was made and at times some sort of normality did prevail.

It was nice to hear the UK premiere of Judas Mecator Pessimus at Ely Cathedral in April and the much-delayed premiere of Matin Responsory in Adelaide in November. The premiere of Regina Coeli was given in October and there were Dutch and German premieres of other pieces in the same month. I wrote less than I would have hoped, but then there was less music to compose - probably the highlight was Canticum Mariae Virginis which was written for the Marian Consort and premiered in Aberdeen in November. The group will record the work in 2022 for a new CD release.

I finished my three-year stint as Head of Music at the University of Aberdeen, it didn’t end the way I hoped, but I am proud of my achievements. I’m very fortunate to now have the whole of 2022 on sabbatical where I have various projects, compositions and articles to write. It could have been a better year, but it could have been much worse. Only a fool would make any predictions for 2022…but…I’m hoping for an even better year, full of optimism, joy and music. And we are getting a puppy, so that should at least promise something a bit different.

PAC