MIKE CROWL -
COMPOSER
| Mike Crowl was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1945. He has been
resident in Dunedin, New Zealand, almost all his life, apart from a six-year
stint in London, where he wrote a good deal of music that he now mostly considers
not worth remembering.
Prior to going to England, he wrote some music that he has since revised, and on his return to New Zealand, he began writing music for various friends, including pieces for cello and piano (for Elaine Armstrong), piano duets (for his friend Richard Warnock), and some songs. Notable among this music are the Five Piano Pieces for Kobi Bosshard, which received their first public performance only in 2006. Mike wrote a number of 'choruses' for the Assembly of God church, which he and his family attended for some fifteen years, and later wrote other songs for the Dunedin City Baptist Church. However, it was his association with various Dunedin singer teachers - Barbara Hendry, Liz Nisbet and Arnold Bachop - that inspired the bulk of his composition work in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2001, Brent Read, one of Arnold Bachop's pupils, asked Mike to write 'some songs' for him. Two and half songs (!) were written in short order, but it took another four years before the set of four songs was completed. Recently, Mike has begun writing more songs, as well as revising and updating a number of earlier pieces, and completing a three-movement work for Cor Anglais and Strings. (This piece will be available on CD shortly - performed by a 'computer' soloist and string orchestra.) A number of Mike's pieces are able to be played - or downloaded for a reasonable price - from SibeliusMusic.com. Just go to their main page and enter Mike Crowl in the search box. ****** A review written by Elizabeth Bouman of Mike Crowl's recent concert appeared in the Otago Daily Times. A large audience in Marama Hall on Saturday evening enjoyed a programme of original works by Mike Crowl, whom many Dunedin people know as the quietly spoken man who operated a book shop in the Octagon. Music fraternity have known of his involvement with Opera Alive, and as accompanist at vocal competitions with singers from 8-year-olds to ODT Aria contestants, but few knew of the 'composer within' until Saturday's recital entitled 'The World Premieres of Some of My Music.' Crowl's style in setting New Zealand poetry is delightfully contemporary without venturing into the extreme. It is witty, poignant and very singable, often ending with a whimsical touch. Performing were Arnold Bachop, Rose Evans, Cally Hammond-Tooke, Benjamin Kidd, Glenys Murray, Brent Read, Helen Scott and Justin Scott, and pianist Richard Warnock. The songs were mostly written for a particular singer or vocal teacher, and the fifteen performed varied in text, all with interesting stories as to how they evolved. Several set Ruth Dallas' poems, and a group of five children's songs included Eel-fishing, The Rooster and Elephant, by J K Baxter. Response (Ursula Bethell) was dialogue from an immigrant writing home about opposing seasons in the garden. Sabbath, Winter Warning, Church Sunday and Ecstasy, longer, more complex works with colourful varied accompaniment, were written for Brent Read, who travelled from Auckland to perform. Piano Pieces for Kobi Bosshard were five impressive piano pieces, each inspired by a picture. The recital concluded with a captivating piano duet written to accompany (projected on screen) pages of a much loved children's book, The Fence. Crowl's work is available for purchase, and may there be many future publications from this local musician.
Opera Alive was a self-run group of young singers from 15 -29 who produced a series of annual musical shows/concerts which included a wide range of songs, choruses and vocal arrangements, all done with considerable energy, movement and talent. Mike was involved for the last seven years of this group's "life."
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