Photograph © H. Spenceley, Pirhuk – Greenland Mountain Guides (Greenland expedition 2016)
Bill composes music inspired by immersive fieldwork. He maintains a busy conducting career.
His latest orchestral composition, Carrownagappul, was commissioned by the Harry Woolhouse Trust for the 25th anniversary of Imperial College Sinfonietta. It was inspired by living on Carrownagappul raised bog in Co. Galway for a week – and is a collaboration with photographer Tina Claffey. The premiere was at Imperial College London in 2024.
In 2018/19 he won a Finzi Scholarship to compose an orchestral piece inspired by Mountain Hares. Mountain Hare was premiered by Farnborough Symphony Orchestra in 2022 – and the fieldwork inspired the travel essay Composing with Hares. The project features in the Finzi Trust podcast.
In 2016 Bill collaborated with poet Helen Mort on an exploratory climbing expedition in East Greenland for a commission from The Little Baroque Company: The Singing Glacier has performed at festivals in London, Sheffield, Aldeburgh, Wells-next-the-Sea and Inchigeelagh, Cork. Helen’s poetry and the project feature in a chapbook of the same name published by Hercules Editions with paintings by Emma Stibbon RA.
Upcoming projects include The Sea of Trees, involving sailing to the Faroe Islands to research birdsong and phytoplankton – the so-called ‘marine forest’.
Bill is Artistic Director of St Albans Symphony Orchestra. He studied conducting with Martyn Brabbins at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He undertook further studies with Ilya Musin in St Petersburg and Jorma Panula in Kuopio, Finland. His work as Music Director includes Elizabeth for the Royal Ballet in 2016 and 2018, and guest conducting with the Royal Oman Symphony. He was a bass-baritone soloist for many years, working with ensembles including the London Mozart Players. He studied English Literature with an organ scholarship at Pembroke College, Cambridge.
(This biography starts with ‘Bill composes music inspired by fieldwork, etc.’ It may be reproduced and only changed with permission. Please maintain italics for piece titles.)
There is a shorter version here. A full CV is available by return email.