News

Premiere of 'O Lord from whom all good things do come'

 The Ulster Consort, director Matthew Owens, gave the premiere of my anthem on Friday 11th October 2024 at St Molua's Church, Stormont, Belfast. My contribution to the Cranmer Anthem Book is a setting, for SATB a cappella,  of the Collect for the 5th Sunday after Easter. The anthems will be published by RSCM in 2025.

In London the previous week, on October 2nd, Luna de Mol gave a beautiful performance of my Prelude after Grinling Gibbons for solo violin, in a private concert celebrating the bicentennial of the Athenaeum Club.

The Moth Ghost at Festival de la Gente in France

 Clara Barbier Serrano performed The Moth Ghost, with pianist Joanna Kacperek, on Sunday August 25th in Correze, France -  Festival de la Gente.

Airs and Fanfares for Youth Orchestra premiere

 Airs and Fanfares was composed for Yorchestra, the holiday orchestra for the City of York. On Friday August 30th, it will be premiered by 'Maestro', the senior orchestra, conducted by Daniel Hogan. The concert is at 7pm in the Jack Lyons Concert Hall,  University of York.

New CUP book publication, July 2024

CUP have published The Cambridge Companion to Women Composers and it launches this week. It includes an article by me,  'A Composer's View', which reflects on aspects of my long career.

Summer performances

In the Forests of the Night for saxophone ensemble has its London premiere at the Royal College of Music on Tuesday July 2nd, 7.30 pm in the concert hall.

On Thursday July 4th Jessica Summers (soprano) sings Au Chat at St Mary's Church, Aylesbury. Au Chat can be heard again at Burgh House, in Hampstead, on September 25th, sung by Alison Smart Fisher.

In July I shall be teaching at the Irish Composition Summer School in Dublin and then at VIPA in Valencia. Here my solo violin piece, Prelude after Grinling Gibbons, will have its Spanish premiere.

Performance of Songs for Jane and broadcast of The Moth Ghost

On May 1st at the British Library, Songs for Jane received a beautiful performance by Patricia Auchterlonie (soprano) and Dorothea Vogel (viola). 

The Moth Ghost, and other tracks from the new Gemini CD of my chamber music, were broadcast on Portuguese Radio in April.

Excellent CD review in The Observer

Fiona Maddocks has written a glowing review of Gemini's new CD of my chamber music, The Path above the Dunes.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/mar/16/michael-spyres-les-talens-lyriques-rousset-in-the-shadows-review-nicola-le-fanu-the-path-above-the-dunes-chamber-music-gemini

Performances on March 8th 2024 (International Women's Day)

My saxophone quartet Moon over Western Ridge, Mootwingee received a very good performance at Birmingham Conservatoire, in a concert that also included a fine oboist playing my Soliloquy (composed almost 60 years ago!)

Early the same day, BBC Radio 3's 'Breakfast' programme included a movement from my Songs without Words for clarinet and string trio.

New Metier Cd is Gramophone 'Editor's Pick'

The new Gemini cd of my chamber music has a very good review in the March edition of Gramophone and is selected as the Editor's Pick. The Cd The Path above the Dunes is on Metier, mex 77112. It is a 'LeFanu portrait', with works from 1974 - The Same Day Dawns,  to 2020  - The Moth Ghost. The Sextet (1997) and the Piano Trio (2003) complete the disc.

The launch concert on February 25th was a sold out event, with wonderful performances by Gemini, director Ian Mitchell,  and Clara Barbier Serrano, soprano.

New CD: Launch concert, February 25th 2024

Gemini has released a LeFanu CD 'The Path above the Dunes'; it features four key chamber works that span my career, from 'The Same Day Dawns (1974 ) to The Moth Ghost (2020). The CD will be launched at a concert at The Warehouse, Theed St, London SE1 8ST, at 3.30pm on Sunday February 25th. The CD is on the Metier label, mex 77112.