Ian Venables is an English composer of songs and chamber music.

Ian Venables

Music

Ian Venables began formal composition lessons with at Trinity College of Music and at the Birmingham Conservatoire. After moving from Dorset in 1986 he has settled in Worcester where he is able to devote much of his time to composition. The University of Central England in Birmingham (UCE) is located in Birmingham, England. ... Dorset (pronounced DOR-sit or [dɔ.sət], and sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the south-west of England, on the English Channel coast. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced ) is a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England, situated some 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Birmingham and 29 miles (47 km) north of Gloucester. ...

In recent years Venables has become regarded as one of Britain's foremost modern song composers and has been classed with other great English folk song writers as Ivor Gurney, Gerald Finzi and Peter Warlock. His repertoire has been included alongside these composers as well as Herbert Howells in many recent CDs. Many artists have included Venables' songs in their recitals. They have also been aired on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Ivor Gurney (August 28, 1890 - December 26, 1937) was an English composer and poet. ... Gerald Raphael Finzi (July 14, 1901 – September 27, 1956) was a British composer, whose popularity has increased considerably in the years since his death. ... Peter Warlock was a pseudonym of Philip Arnold Heseltine (October 30, 1894 - December 17, 1930), an Anglo-Welsh composer and music critic. ... Herbert Norman Howells CH (17 October 1892 – 23 February 1983) was an English composer, organist, and teacher. ... BBC Radio 3 is a domestic UK BBC radio station, which devotes most of its schedule to classical music. ... Classic FM is the United Kingdoms first national commercial radio station, broadcasting classical music in a popular and accessible style. ...

It is not just in the field of song writing that Ian Venables is gaining a reputation. He has written music for piano, organ, brass and choir. His many chamber works are performed regularly - in particular, his String Quartet Op. 32 and Piano Quintet Op. 27. A short grand piano, with the top up. ... An organ is the following: In anatomy, an organ is a group of tissues which perform some function. ...

Currently

Currently Ian works at RGS Worcester as a teacher of economics. Although he teaches this, he still finds time to compose. His works is sometimes performed at RGS. At the first RGS Organ recital, one of Ian's organ pieces was played by John Wilderspin, the school organist, to whom the piece is dedicated. The Royal Grammar School Worcester (RGS Worcester) is a British independent Public School founded before 1291. ... John Wilderspin is an organist, chemist in Worcestershire. ...

Compositions

Please see website.

Reviews

The Gramophone Magazine recorded in a 2000 review that "...at his best, as in the cycle, Invite, to Eternity, Venables impresses as a songwriter in the line of, say Gerald Finzi..." Gramophone Classical Music Magazine

Gramophone review

The ClasicFM Magazine was equally impressed with the music on his CD of songs - ClassicFM review

External Links/ Sources

• CD review
• Ivor Gurney Society
• Ian's website
• RGSW's website