Birtwistle’s Shortest Composition?
The Ivor Novello Awards were held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London last week.
Harrison Birtwistle, the 71 year old British modernist composer, was there to collect the 2006 Classical Music Award.
He listened to Damon Albarn, KT Tunstall, New Order, the Kaiser Chiefs, the Arctic Monkeys, the Bee Gees and James Blunt (Bee Gee Barry Gibb said: We like James Blunt. He sounds like us.) before going on stage to accept his award.
Why is your music so effing loud? Birtwistle asked. You must all be brain dead. Maybe you are: I didn’t know so many cliches existed until the last half-hour. Have fun. Goodbye.
Later, he added: I`ve nothing against pop music, I`ve just discovered Roy Orbison, he`s a real singer.
I reckon it was the James Blunt song that did his head in.
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More posts like this one please:) Haha
Do you happen to know if Spencer Birtwistle who played drums with The Fall (not sure if he still does, sorry) is any relation to Harrison Birtwistle. Like his son, or something? If so, the loudness of pop music should not have come as any surprise to him.
The Blunt/Bee Gee comparison is obvious when you think about it – both set my teeth on edge. Good old Birtwhistle, I’m sorry I missed it. Thanks for the item.