Piano playing to great virtuosity and style. Plus, Bruckner's dizzying heights.
Author: Paul Gray & David Gray
→Paul is a mature PhD student of choral and vocal composition with Prof. Paul Mealor & colleagues at the University of Aberdeen. Paul's career in higher education began in 1992 when the University of Birmingham appointed Paul as Academic Adviser & Lecturer in Music in Continuing Education (for 7yrs).
Paul continued as both an active academic & researcher in both music and/or music education at a variety of universities, including a Senior Lectureship at Birmingham City University, a Teacher Fellowship at Warwick University, another academic advisory role in music and the creative arts at Lancaster University, and various other associate, research & visiting posts at the Universities of Birmingham, Manchester Metropolitan and Wolverhampton University.
Paul has also held various posts as a musical director of choirs, and he was one of the leads for the development of the "Singing Communities" project for Youth Music. Paul has held choral scholarships at the Birmingham Oratory and St Chad's Metropolitan Cathedral (countertenor/bass), as well as spending the first six years of his career as a Head of Music in two large Comprehensive Schools in Canterbury, then in the West Midlands.
Paul became disabled in 2004 and has a very beautiful & multi-talented guide-cum-assistance dog, a black lab called "JJ". Paul, together with his singer husband David, enjoy times away in their lil' tourer caravan, "Euphemia", as well as cooking & entertaining with friends, crafting, gardening, singing with "Rainbow Voices" - the LGBTQ+ choir Paul & David created in this, the year of the choir's Silver Jubilee - and, of course, attending as many art musics concerts & events as they can manage.
If you are a music professional or professional organisation, and would like Paul to review something for you - for either ReviewsGate or elsewhere - just drop Paul a line at p.gray.20@abdn.ac.uk (complimentary tickets to your event are always most welcome!)
A truly magical concert of works by Roxanna Panufnik and Alec Roth - part of what might be described a new musical renaissance in the composition of choral music
Knowing me, knowing you - you’ll love this show!
A modern Gesamtkunstwerk to be praised for its timely, yet apocalyptic message
I thought much more highly of the plays coming out than I did going in.
An intriguing musical exploration hampered by a lack of dramatic scale
The puppets were so much more fun.
A beautiful fusion of human drama and spiritual reflection
A beautiful choral concert of remembrance
Tale as old as time given high tech staging
An evening of Spanish sunshine