THIS SHINING NIGHT: Christopher Churcher
Simon Hogan · organ
Music of Our Time (JAM's opening season concert)
20 March 2024, 7:30pm
St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London
www.jamconcert.org
During my residency as a composer at JAM on the Marsh last summer, I had the privilege of meeting the photographer Susan Pilcher. Her striking night photography left a profound impression on me - its simplicity, whilst instilling such a deep sense of awe for the wonder of the night sky. Her work inspired me to write my first piece of organ music. This Shining Night is a short organ prelude, taking its title from James Agee’s poem Sure on this shining night. The music traces the journey of an eye adjusting to the night sky, gradually discovering and highlighting little stars above. As the piece unfolds, the sonority of the organ intensifies in power, reflecting on the sheer majesty of the cosmos. Twinkling motifs evoke wonder, while resonant chords portray the profound human sense of awe in the face of the vastness of the universe. The composition invites listeners to immerse themselves in the mysteries of the night, embracing the beauty and insignificance we find beneath a shimmering ceiling of stars.
Christopher Churcher is emerging as one of Britain’s most prolific and exciting young composers. Described as ‘a remarkable talent’ by David Hill, Christopher’s accomplished body of works is earning him a national reputation for its striking aesthetics and captivating musical language. Drawing from the contemporary traditions of composers such as John Adams, Julia Wolfe, Nico Muhly and Caroline Shaw. Christopher studies composition under the mentorship of Cheryl Frances-Hoad.
Decorated with over a dozen national awards for his music, Christopher won the 2021 Benslow Young Composers’ Competition, adjudicated by Judith Weir, before winning the Sir David Willcocks Carol Competition later that year. His string quartet Arborescent also won the National Centre for Early Music Young Composer’s Award in 2022, and was subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In October 2022, he began his music undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford, where he sings with Somerville College Choir and the Schola Cantorum of Oxford.
www.christopherchurcher.com
Film by Gareth Kay
www.garethkay.co