Michael Hurd, the composer, developed a passion for opera during his National Service with the Intelligence Corps, which involved a posting to Vienna.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Michael Hurd shared Benjamin Britten's desire to be involved in his local community, actively participating in music-making in his native Hampshire.
Recording & Production
During the recording of A Song for St Cecilia, a discordant passage caused the conductor, producer, and orchestral leader to confer to confirm the composer's intent, which was confirmed as a 'seismic harmonic disruption'.
Composer Biography
Michael Hurd was a prolific writer, authoring seminal studies on British composers Rutland Boughton and Ivor Gurney, as well as biographical portraits of Britten, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Tippett.
Compositional Technique
In his 'music-hall guide to Victorian living', Mrs. Beeton's Book, Hurd humorously used 'every detail of good advice' from the first edition (1861) of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Michael Hurd described his own music as 'accessible and, in the traditional sense, very tuneful,' but also hoped that 'certain rhythmic and harmonic subtleties' lifted it 'somewhat out of the ordinary'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Hurd's conviction that composers should adopt a practical approach led him to write many scores for children and amateurs, ensuring the material was accessible to non-professional singers and accompanists.
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