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Davies, Hugh (b. April 23, 1943, Exmouth – d. January 1, 2005, London). British composer of mostly chamber, electroacoustic and multimedia works that have been performed throughout the world; he is also active as an instrument inventor, researcher and writer.
Mr. Davies studied counterpoint and harmony with Edmund Rubbra and music history with Frank Harrison at Oxford University from 1961-64 and there earned his BA.
Among his honors are the Honorary Logos Award in Belgium (1972), honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore (1988) and the medal of the city of Bourges (1990). His sound sculptures and sound installations have been exhibited in Europe and North America.
As a writer, his books include Répertoire international des musiques électroacoustiques/International Electronic Music Catalog (1968, MIT Press; also as issue 2/3 of Electronic Music Review, 1968) and Sounds Heard (2002 [with CD], Soundworld). He has also contributed numerous articles on electronic music, its instruments and its history for various publications. As an inventor, he has built more than 150 musical instruments, some in collaboration with the visual artist John Furnival early in his career, and has often performed on them as a soloist and in numerous improvisational ensembles.
Mr. Davies is also active in other positions. He was the assistant to Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne and performed with the Stockhausen Ensemble from 1964-66. He served as a committee member of the New Macnaghten Concerts from 1968-71, the Arts Council of Great Britain's New Activities in 1969-70, the Electroacoustic Music Association from 1977-84, and the International Confederation for Electroacoustic Music from 1982-92, for which he also served as secretary from 1982-86. In addition, he served on the board of directors of the Artist Placement Group from 1975-89.
He was active as a researcher at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales in Paris in 1966-67 and founded the electronic music studio at Goldsmiths' College in 1967 and served as its director from 1967-86. He also served as a consultant researcher there from 1986-91 and as the external consultant for electronic musical instruments at the Gemeentemuseum in Den Haag from 1986-93. He taught as a visiting lecturer in sonic arts at Middlesex University from 1999-2004.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: hugh-davies@beeb.net
Street address: Mr. Hugh Davies, 25 Albert Rd., London N4 3RR, UK
Telephone: + 4420 7272 5508
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
CHAMBER MUSIC: Trigon, flute, 1961-62; Episodes I, flute, clarinet, 1962; Episodes II, clarinet, 1962; Rhapsody, violin, 1963; Moonlight, variable ensemble (alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, electric guitar, accordion, cymbal [or other instruments with a similar range]), 1964; Differentials, 3 high wind instruments with a specific range, 1973-75; Meldoci Gestures, flute/violin, cello, piano, 1978; Meldoci Gestures from the British Isles, flute, tuba/other bass instrument, 1979; Three Handelian Angels Intertwined, clarinet, violin, cello, 1980; Fanfare, 5 trumpets, 1991; Inventio, any improvisational player, ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet/bassoon, viola, 2 celli, synthesizer/electric piano, accordion/electronic keyboard), 1994
CHORAL: Three Carols on Latin Texts (texts from anonymous sources), female chorus, 1963; Choireography (text by the composer), 16 mixed voices, 1974
VOCAL: Vom ertrunkenen Mädchen (text by Bertolt Brecht), soprano, flute, clarinet, piano, 1964; Haiku (text by the composer), soprano, piano, 1974; Ex una voce (texts by the composer, anonymous sources), tenor, synthesizer, 1979; Four Songs (texts by the composer, anonymous sources), voice, any melody instrument with the same range, 1979-81; Rapport (text by the composer), soprano, flute, piano, 1981
PIANO: Three Pieces, 1962; Variations, 1962; Contact, 1963; Raisonnements, 1973; Master Domenico's Humpback – Interrupted Tango, 1985; Trois amorces en forme de poireau (Three Beginnings in the Form of a Leek), 1995
ORGAN: Kangaroo, 1968
ELECTROACOUSTIC: Taken for a Ride!, 1-track tape, 1967; Quintet, live electronics (5 players), 1967-68; Interfaces, 2 2-track tapes, live electronics (6 players), 1967-68 (also version for 2 2-track tapes, live electronics [2 players], 1967-68); Mobile with Differences, 5 portable concert instruments with a specific range, live electronics, 1973, revised 1982; Natural Images, 2-track tape, 1976 (also version for any number of amplified instruments [+ amplified objects] [1 player], 2-track tape, 1992); Tapestries, 2-track tape, 1982-83; Vision, 4-track tape, 1987 (also version for 2-track tape, 1987); Celeritas, 2-track tape, 1987; From Trees and Rocks, CD, 2000 (music for exhibition at the Diözesanmuseum in Cologne); Postojnski Zvoncert, CD, 2003 (concert version of sound installation)
MULTIMEDIA/PERFORMANCE: Music for Car-Horns, 15 or more car horns, 1967-69; The Birth of Live Electronic Music, 2 vocal noisemakers, Stroh violin, sound balancer, 1971; Beautiful Seaweeds, 2-6 dancers/mimes, any 2-6 players, slide projections (from book Beautiful Seaweeds by James Cook), 1972-73; The Musical Educator (text by the composer, after anthology The Musical Educator), speaker, 2 dancers/mimes, piano, harmonium, slide projections (from anthology The Musical Educator), 1974; The Pianoforte (text by the composer, after anthology The Musical Educator), speaker, piano, 1974; The Search for the Music of the Spheres (text by the composer; actors also wear specially-made amplified laboratory coats), 4 actors (all with specially-made amplified props), sound balancer, slide projections (by the composer), 1978; At Home, player (any number of invented instruments), 1978; I Have a Dream, dancer/mime (with specially-made props, specially-made amplified props), 4-track tape, slide projections (compiled by the composer), 1984-85 (also version with 2-track tape, 1987); Tintinnabularia Coloniensis (sound installation: a great variety of bells from throughout the world, including some home-made, installed in the underground ruins of the Roman Praetorium in Cologne, played by visitors with remote controls; also 2 bells in the foyer sounded by two rotating electric fans), 2001; Soft Winds Do Blow (sound installation: a gallery room containing invented instruments, sound objects played by any small number of rotating electric fans, also by visitors with a foot pump; a large outdoor wind harp with strings struck by weighted flags), 2002; Postojnski Zvoncert – Postojna Bell-Concert (sound installation: bells from throughout the world, including some home-made, installed in a cave in Postojna, Slovenia, played by visitors with remote controls; 2 CDs), 2003 (also concert version for CD)
WORKS FOR INVENTED INSTRUMENTS: Shozyg I, player, 1968; Shozyg II, player, 1968; Shozyg I+II, 2 players, 1968; Spring Song, player, 1970; Shozyg Sequence No. 1, player, 1971; H.D. Breadbins, 4-5 players, 1972; Gentle Springs, 4-5 players, 1973; Music for Bowed Diaphragms, player, 1973; My Spring Collection, player, 1975; Salad, player, 1977; Shozyg Sequence No. 2, player, 1977; Jigamaree, any youth ensemble (with self-built instruments), 1977; Music for a Single Spring, player, 1977; Music for Two Springs, player, 1977; Music for Three Springs, player, 1977; Organic Rhythms, player, 1981; Strata, player, 2-/4-track tape, 1987; Shozyg Sequence No. 3, player, 1990-92; Embellishments, 1-2 players, 1994, revised 1997; Porcupine, player, 2000
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS/DOCUMENTATION (verbal listening and realization scores based on environmental sounds and objects): Environmental Music Projects (4 environmental projects), 1969-78; Sounds Heard, 1969–
(Last updated on January 6, 2005)
