Biography
Links
Recent Performances
Future Performances
MusicWeb Reviews
Music & Vision Articles
Other Reviews
 Robert is a composer of contemporary classical music who is resident in London. A detailed biography can be seen: plus some interesting links. If you wish to hear some of Robert's music, there are regular performances both in London and around the World. Recent performances are list here and Future Performances here. You can also hear samples of his music online, download music in mp3 and midi format.. Robert's complete catalogue is now for sale on-line at Spherical Editions, Click here for a complete listing of all available works, along with sample pages of music, mp3 and midi files. Robert's Facebook page is here and his SoundCloud page is here You can buy some of Robert's music and CD's online from www.tutti.co.uk Robert's latest CD The Testament of Dr. Cranmer is now available from Divine Art Hear Robert's motet Exaudi sung by London Concord Singers here. Faith, Hope, Charity for violin and strings, played by the strings of the Chameleon Arts Orchestra, conductor Paul Brough. Listen to more of Robert's SoundCloud.com.Robert's blog Planet Hugill contains regular reviews of concerts, CD's and operas by Robert and guest posters, along with concert previews, classical music news, interviews and feature articles on subjects as diverse as Handel opera, Bizet's Carmen and English opera in the 1950's. The FifteenB consort were back on the road in October 2013 at the Herne Hill Festival, with a programme based around Palestrina's Missa tu es Petrus along with two of Robert's motets plus music by Stravinsky and Bruckner, with clarinettist Tom Bowles. The programme is entitled The Rock and The Key. And on Friday December 7th, Alistair Dixon and La Chapelle du Roi repeated Robert's motet, Puer Natus as part of their programme Old Wine in New Bottles at St. Johns Smith Square. 'chilling...disturbing' - Margaret Davies in Opera Magazine, June 2011 Hear excerpts from the most recent FifteenB concert here.
If you wish to learn more about Robert's music, receive an electronic copy of his newsletter or wish to be kept up to date on performances Join our mailing list! Simply send an blank e-mail to mailinglist@hugill.demon.co.uk with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Robert writes CD reviews for MusicWeb and regular articles for Music and Vision, do visit both of these sites. The new archive pages give links to all Robert's MusicWeb reviews and all his Music and Vision articles. Robert now has his own blog, read it here http://hugill.blogspot.com. And Robert's MySpace page is here http://www.myspace.com/roberthugill.
'Robert Hugill's Videte Miraculum soared too, especially at its ending, with the three sopranos perched at a perilous altitude (to their credit, they never wavered).' - see full review at www.telegraph.co.uk 'This had a lovely opening and a simple, well considered structure, with the harmonies based in tonality but moving gradually to build up tension through dissonance. Hugill made use of parallel and contrary motion to excellent effect, and motivic sections returned to give a sense of overall coherence. He also used a wide range of textures, including unisons, octaves and polyphony in different numbers of parts. This was another well written work which deserves further performances.' - see full review at Seen and Heard
Volume 2 of Tempus per Annum is now available. This volume contains 22 motets covering Lent, Eastertide, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday and Trinity Sunday. The motets set the texts of the Latin Introits for the day. As usual the motets are written for unaccompanied SATB choir, some motets have a limited amount of division. 6 of the motets will also be available in versions of ATBaB choir. When complete, Tempus per Annum will consist of 72 motets covering all the Sundays and major feasts of the Church's year. Volume 1 is already available and covers Advent and Christmastide. The four Advent motets were recorded by Paul Brough and the eight:fifteen vocal ensemble on their disc of my music on the Divine Art label.
'Robert Hugill’s Deus in adjutorium , one in a projected series of 70 motets - 35 of which have been completed so far - of settings of all the Introit texts for all the Sundays and major church festivals, used both the declamatory and the polyphonic. A solo tenor, well sung by Margaret Jackson-Roberts, one of two female tenors in the group, acting as a kind of narrator, leading the choir into a prayer to “Let my enemies be confounded…” with music that seems to be of the utmost simplicity, but is in fact well thought out and carefully designed to illuminate the words. How wonderful to hear a contemporary work where the composer actually cares about the text he is setting and writes music that is so grateful to sing. Hugill is himself a singer, and a member of this choir, so he knows how to write for the group's voices and this showed in every bar. This was my first hearing of Hugill’s music and it made me want to hear more.' Read the full review here. My new CD is now out on the Divine Art Label. Tenor Christopher Watson, organist Paul Ayres, the eight:fifteen vocal ensemble and the strings of the Chameleon Arts Orchestra, all under conductor Paul Brough, perform a selection of my choral and vocal music. Earlier this year, conductor Paul Brough was announced as the new Principal Conductor of the Hanover Band. The works included on the disc are are The Testament of Dr. Cranmer, my William Blake setting for tenor and strings, What is Man?, the Advent Motets from Tempus per Annum, the new Magnificat, plus other motets including Nunc Dimittis. The disc also includes an arrangement of Faith, Hope and Charity for string orchestra, and a version of The Lord Bless Thee for tenor and strings. Full details of the artists and the works recorded plus are available at Divine Art, here. "[Christopher Watson's] beauty of sound appears effortless, yet he brings the impassioned moments directly to our attention with style. The eight voices of the ‘eight:fifteen’ vocal ensemble produce a radiant sound...Brough capably directs the two very different groups of musicians with considerable aplomb. This is a disc of initial unknowns, but the end result is delightful." - Will Dawes (Church Music Quarterly) “A strong use of strings characterises this album, in the strong spiritual sense which runs through all the works. For example in Faith Hope and Charity the sublime music of the solo violin has the effect of easing troubled spirits.”- Francesca Guerrasio (ResMusica) “Overall the music is sincere and communicative and it’s expertly performed. Several passages are searingly dramatic but there are a number of more meditative, prayerful sections. This well produced disc features committed performances from musicians who serve Robert Hugill well. The sound is excellent and the documentation, including notes by the composer, is very good” – John Quinn (MusicWeb) “A well played performance, anyone with a hankering for getting deeper into some church oriented programs is well advised to open an ear in this direction.” - Chris Spector (Midwest Record ,USA) “The Testament of Dr Cranmer, an interestingly made musical account of the close of Dr Cranmer's life… contains some beautifully taught harmonic pungency. The choral singers are excellent, and Christopher Watson has a most appealing tenor voice, featuring in two pieces with string orchestra. The four Latin motets from Hugill's collection Tempus per Annum, all must appeal to any church choir. The performances are excellent and the recording serves both singers and orchestra well and makes listening a pleasure.” - Patric Standford (Music & Vision) Extracts of all the recent reviews are here
My song, To his Love, came joint second in the English Poetry and Song Society's Ivor Gurney Competition. The song will be included in a recital to be given at 3pm on Sunday 11th Novemeber 2007 at Bristol Music Club, St. Paul's Road, Clifton. The recital is being given by soprano Charlotte Newstead, baritone Nicolas Barlow and pianist John Marsh, and is entitled Ivor Gurney and his teachers. It will include music by Gurney, Parry, Stanford and Vaughan-Williams as well as the winning songs from the competition. The winning song in the competition is Severn Meadows by Brian Daubney. My song Requiem reached the shortlist and may be included in the recital. Robert's On-line Catalogue of Music at Spherical Editions, here you can read about and buy copies of all of Robert's music. Passion was described by Robert Matthew-Walker, from the magazine Musical Opinion, as 'An often beautiful and fascinating work'. Click here for the full text of his review and an introduction to the work, with excerpts from the music. The CD of Passion and the vocal score are both now available from www.tutti.co.uk. |
| Calendar |
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| 13th December 2012 |
| Grosvenor Chapel London |
| Advent Motet |
| London Concord Singers, Malcolm Cottle |
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| 7th December 2012 |
| St Johns Smith Square London |
| Puer Natus |
| Chapelle du Roi, Alistair Dixon |
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| 13th October 2012 |
| St Faith's Church Red Post Hill, London SE24 Herne Hill Festival |
| Ave Maria; Salve Regina |
| FifteenB Consort |
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| 27th August 2011 |
| St. Botolph's Church Trunch, Norfolk |
| Elegy |
| London Schubert Ensemble |
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| 31st March - 2nd April 2011 |
| Bridewell Theatre Bride Lane London EC4 |
| When a man knows |
| FifteenB productions conductor David Roblou Director Ian Caddy |
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| 6th October 2010 |
| St. Botolph without Bishopsgate London EC2M |
| St. Botolph's Choir conductor Timothy Storey |
| Thou O Christ |
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| 15th December 2010 |
| Grosvenor Chapel South Audley St London W1 |
| The Magi |
| London Concord Singers conductor Malcolm Cottle |
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| Saturday 21st August 2010 |
| Riverside Studios Hammersmith London |
| When a man knows |
| FifteenB productions David Roblou Part of Tete a Tete The Opera Festival |
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| Sunday 13th June 2010 |
| St. John's Waterloo London |
| When a man knows |
| FifteenB productions David Roblou |
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