I live in a village just outside Oxford, UK, and have been writing music since 1979. For some biographical details please see the blog above, which is taken from the website of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, of which I am a member. I am also an associate member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians in the UK.
My music is published under the imprint: St. Maur Music, and I have a webpage at: http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/maurmusic from where the orchestral scores of two of the pieces I have uploaded to MySpace, Galadriel's Song and the Prelude for String Quartet, can be printed out for free. A vocal score of one of the Tolkien Songs is also available there. The score of the piano piece, Reverie, can be seen on my Pics page. To print it out, left click on each page to expand it, then right click on the expanded page to see the print option.
The recording of the Introduction and Elegy for Violin and Piano which plays on this page was made by the American violinist, Samantha Gillogly, accompanied by the pianist Anna Shereshkova. They gave the first public performance of this piece on June 22nd, 2007, at a concert in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. You can hear Samantha Gillogly's performance of various other pieces, including some of her own compositions, on her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/samanthagillogly
A CD of ten of my orchestral pieces, several of which can be heard on this page, is available below. Particulars can be found in a blog, above.
Below are some particulars of the Tolkien Songs and the two collections of Short Easy Piano Pieces and how to buy the sheet music. Pieces marked with an asterisk can be heard on this page, either on the Standalone Player at the top, or on the 'MyPods' in the 'Sounds Like' box on the left. (I find these MyPods take some time to load, but they do play eventually, if one is prepared to wait a minute or so.)
THIRTEEN TOLKIEN SONGS FOR CHILDREN'S VOICES
Vocal score (voice parts, with piano accompaniment).
'For those who only know Tolkien via the recent blood-and-thunder films, this song-cycle by Charles McCreery will give a very different angle on the classic saga. Here we find a gentle and ethereal world, where rhythms lilt and words echo. The twelve songs, suitable for choir, evoke a dreamy, water-colour landscape with no harsh sounds, the tunes are singable and in a traditional style that Tolkien would surely have approved.' - Dr Julia Gasper, LGSM
Format: A4, spiral binding, illustrated cover (see Pics page), 60 pages of music. Please see blog for a list of contents.
Published by: St. Maur Music
ISMN 9002103 0 2
Distributed by the online music retailers tutti, at:
https://www.tutti.co.uk/sheet-music/tolkien-songs
TEN SHORT EASY PIANO PIECES
Format: A4, spiral binding, illustrated cover (see Pics page), 19 pages of music.
Contents
1. Grand Entrance 2. *Reverie 3. *Antique Song 4. *Dance 5. Valediction 6. *Recollection 7. Canon 8. Story 9. Grand March 10. *Envoi
Some comments on the music:
‘Congratulations on the charming and highly accessible pieces that you have written! In an age when there is such hypocrisy and artificiality regarding musical composition and standards, it is heartening and uplifting to play through these ten pieces of yours – they have directness of expression, are very enjoyable and delightfully varied.’- John Lill, CBE.
'I am impressed by Charles McCreery’s collection of pieces; they are all so different. I think my favourites are Envoi, Antique Song and Canon - I find the counterpoint very appealing…Story is a piece I could easily give to some of my pupils to play. And the Marches work very well. Altogether an album that many young players would be pleased to acquire… - Dr Julia Gasper, LGSM
'A fascinating set of short pieces that leave one wanting more.' - Agneta Budd, flautist
ISMN 9002103 1 9
TEN MORE SHORT EASY PIANO PIECES
Format: A4, spiral binding, illustrated cover (see Pics page), 22 pages of music.
Contents
1. Grand March 2. *Children’s Chorus 3. Getting up in the Morning 4. Resolution 5. *Sad Events 6. Elation 7. *Benediction 8. *National Anthem 9. Decision 10. Valedictory Chorus
Some comments on the music:
‘I wish you very well with these little masterpieces…They make immediate contact and your style is admirably clean, clear and very much to the point.’ - John Lill, CBE
‘There are some Schumannesque touches, in the ideas and some of the more poetic moments…These pieces should be great fun to play for those building up a repertoire…I shall play them with great pleasure.' - Brian Rees, author: Camille Saint-Saens, A life.
ISMN 9002103 2 6
