1st May 2024
Sheet music now available through online store
Sheet music for Isabelle's original compositions is now available online:
The catalogue will be added to as more music is written, so do check back. Feel free to share the link with anyone you know who loves original music!
23rd March 2024
Wirral Chamber Music Festival
The Wirral Chamber Music Festival will be running for its third season at the end of June, and this year's fabulous programme will include a "Wirral Composers Showcase" on 30th June. Violinist Sophie Rosa and pianist Ian Buckle will perform Isabelle's jazz-infused romantic Ballade. Other performers will be Alex Holladay and Lionel Handy on cello, and Eleanor Kelly on guitar.
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Ian Stephens - Duo for violin and cello Isabelle Ryder - Ballade for violin and piano Cyril Scott - Sonatina for guitar Michel Kerem - 4 Dances for piano trio - UK premiere Sir Stephen Hough - Adagio sereno for cello and piano Gary Carpenter - Dioscuri for two cellos - UK premiere Cyril Scott - Poème Érotique for violin and piano |
8th April 2024
JAM première at St Bride's
The John Armitage Memorial Trust (JAM) held its annual Music of Our Time concert on 20th March at St Bride's Church in London. The programme consisted of 8 recently-composed pieces by living composers, a piece by Tarik O'Reagan from 2010, and the world première of Isabelle's Illumination. This piece, composed for organ and two trumpets, was brilliantly performed by Alan Thomas & James Fountain on trumpets, and Simon Hogan on organ, with Michael Bawtree conducting.
7th March 2024
Bell Toccata to be played on Woman Composer Sunday
The Bell Toccata recently published by OUP will be played as the recessional voluntary at St Bride's Church, London this Sunday, which is both Mothering Sunday and Woman Composer Sunday. In a plot twist, however, the version that will be played is the original longer version, not the shortened version that was published. The organist playing the piece will be Matthew Morley.
5th March 2024
Calling all songwriters!
The Friday Live Songwriting Challenge has now been launched, and is open to all UK songwriters. Entrants are asked to write a song inspired by one of the photographs to be displayed in the West Kirby Arts Centre during April/May. Isabelle will be one of the judges for the competition, along with Tony Woof, Jim Pearson and Caroline England.
Please visit the website for more details. |
21st February 2024
Fleet Street commission from the John Armitage Memorial Trust (JAM)
Following her residency in Kent as part of the JAM festival last summer, Isabelle received a President's Commission to compose a piece for JAM's Music of Our Time concert next month. The concert will take place in St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, on 20th March. Isabelle chose the church's namesake St Brigid herself as the inspiration for her piece, "Illumination", which is for organ and two trumpets. The piece will be performed by trumpeters Alan Thomas and James Fountain, with Simon Hogan (Southwark Cathedral) on the organ.
Further details about the concert can be found here. Programme note:
"Illumination" is inspired by St Brigid (St Bride), the gentle but strong-minded patroness Saint of Ireland. Brigid founded Kildare Abbey and an associated art school, which was famous for its illuminated manuscripts. Sadly, the acclaimed Book of Kildare has been lost, but since her death 1500 (1499?) years ago, Brigid's spiritual light has spread far and wide. This piece - for organ and two trumpets - aims to celebrate the light and art of St Brigid. A loose melody in the Mixolydian mode is presented by the trumpets, and progressively decorated (or illuminated) as the piece builds to its climax. |
15th February 2024
Commission from the Guild of St Bride
Isabelle was commissioned by the Guild of St Bride - the guild attached to St Bride's Church on Fleet Street, London - to compose a recessional voluntary for Guild Sunday. Since she had recently been sketching a piece for organ and two trumpets, she decided to stick with this combination, and she had fun transforming a hearty Irish jig tune (Rakes of Kildare) into a celebratory blast. The piece was performed after two Sunday services, on 4th and 11th March. Thanks to Matthew Morley (Organist at St Bride's) for having the initial vision for a celebratory recessional, and to the Guild for commissioning the piece.
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21st December 2023
First Prize!
Isabelle won first prize in the contemporary category of the Fidelio Piano Composition Competition, with her evocative piece Seal Highway. The piece, which is part of a recently-composed suite called "Fjord", is a depiction of seals swimming, weaving, and darting through the icy waters of northeast Greenland. Isabelle was fortunate to witness these Arctic residents during boating fieldwork as a student (see photo). The score is available at Universal Edition.
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20th December 2023
Isabelle published by Universal Edition
As part of her Honourable Mention prize in the Vienna Pure Classic Competition (see September and October news), Isabelle is now a published composer with Universal Edition. Her page can be viewed here. Currently published are Elemental Rhapsody for string sextet, and Fantasy on Calon Lân for brass quintet. More works will be added in 2024.
30th November 2023
Organ Toccata published by OUP
The Oxford Book of Organ Music by Women Composers has now been officially released by Oxford University Press (OUP). One of the 42 pieces in this comprehensive volume, Isabelle's Bell Toccata features a bell motif in the manuals, while the pedals play a melody from the 17th century composer Isabella Leonarda.
Other composers featured in this compilation are Nadia Boulanger, Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, Cécile Chaminade, Florence Price, Ethel Smyth, and contemporary composers Cecilia McDowall, Kristina Arakelyan, Miriam Carpinetti, Ghislaine Reece-Trapp, Amy Summers, and Rebecca Groom te Velde.
The book can be purchased from OUP, Amazon, Ackerman Music, Stretta Music, Barnes & Noble, Wordery, Music Shop Europe, And Music Room.
Other composers featured in this compilation are Nadia Boulanger, Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, Cécile Chaminade, Florence Price, Ethel Smyth, and contemporary composers Cecilia McDowall, Kristina Arakelyan, Miriam Carpinetti, Ghislaine Reece-Trapp, Amy Summers, and Rebecca Groom te Velde.
The book can be purchased from OUP, Amazon, Ackerman Music, Stretta Music, Barnes & Noble, Wordery, Music Shop Europe, And Music Room.
26th October 2023
Publication with Oxford University Press
Isabelle's music will be published for the first time next month. Her Bell Toccata for organ will be published with Oxford University Press (OUP), in a compilation entitled The Oxford Book of Organ Music by Women Composers. Isabelle's piece will be placed alongside works by Clara Schumann and Nadia Boulanger, as well as other contemporary composers. Pre-orders from OUP can be placed here, and the book is also available from Barnes & Noble, Stretta Music, and Amazon.
20th October 2023
Musical trip to Vienna and Salzburg
Following her placement in the Vienna Pure Classic competition (see 22nd September 2023), Isabelle took the opportunity to travel to Vienna (by train!) for the prizewinners' concert, taking in many other Viennese sights while she was there, and stopping off in Salzburg on the way home. The highlights were visiting Beethoven's and Mozart's apartments in Vienna, and Mozart's birthplace in Salzburg. Let's just let pictures speak a thousand words.
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9th October 2023
Orchestral performance in Sydney
Isabelle's music has been performed for the first time outside of the UK! On 6th October, her orchestral piece based on Wilfred Owen's war poem, Dulce et Decorum Est, was performed by the Sydney Contemporary Orchestra. The concert took place in the beautiful Verbruggen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and you can watch the video here:
22nd September 2023
Prize in Classic Pure Vienna competition
Earlier this month, Isabelle was awarded an Honourable Mention prize in the Vienna Pure Classic composition competition. This award was for her solo piano suite Fjord, which was inspired by travels in Greenland during her former life as an Earth scientist. The journey behind the suite was by boat along the fjord shown to the left, which is part of the magnificent King Oscar Fjord system in NE Greenland.
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19th July 2023
Composing residency in Kent
Isabelle was one of four composers selected out of over 100 applicants to take up a residency at the JAM on the Marsh festival in Kent in July. Mentored by Paul Mealor, Gabriel Jackson and John Frederick Hudson, the composers each wrote a string quartet, which was performed at the end of the festival. After just one hour to rehearse each piece, the inspirational Sacconi Quartet gave wonderful renditions of four very different quartets, putting their heart and soul into the interpretation of each one. Isabelle's quartet, entitled Spirits of Baffin Island, was inspired by her time doing fieldwork in Arctic Canada.
The composers also attended a dozen or so concerts during the festival, meeting musicians from all over the UK and also the Delaware Choral Scholars from the US. A one-of-a-kind festival!
The composers also attended a dozen or so concerts during the festival, meeting musicians from all over the UK and also the Delaware Choral Scholars from the US. A one-of-a-kind festival!
3rd June 2023
Forthcoming première of Song for Southport
Towards the end of last year, Isabelle was commissioned to compose a choral piece for the Southport U3A choir. The choir members were keen that the piece reflected their connection to both Southport and to each other. To this end, Tricia Craven and other choir members wrote lyrics for Isabelle to set to music, which made the process all the more meaningful. The music for the verse came very quickly indeed, with Isabelle improvising the piano accompaniment once (fortunately while recording!), and then improvising a vocal melody over the top. The rest of the piece followed from there.
The choir, conducted by Lynne Rogers, will be premièring Song for Southport on Tuesday 4th July at 2 pm, in Christ Church in Southport.
The choir, conducted by Lynne Rogers, will be premièring Song for Southport on Tuesday 4th July at 2 pm, in Christ Church in Southport.
26th May 2023
Fidelio Piano Competition results
Isabelle's piano piece Orion's Waltz, from her debut piano EP Cosmos, placed 5th out of 106 entries in the worldwide Fidelio Piano Composition Competition. In this competition, the competitors themselves vote for their favourites in each knockout round. In the final round, an external jury judges the pieces as well. This system makes for a very interactive, exciting process! Congratulations to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.
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18th May 2023
Rhys Owens memorial concert
Following the sad passing of professional trumpeter Rhys Owens, a concert in Liverpool Parish Church was organised to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA). The performers were Wirral Brass Quintet and Wilmslow Brass Quintet, who between them played a large variety of delightful music. Included in the programme was Isabelle's specially-composed Fantasy on Calon Lân, which was played by Wirral Brass Quintet. The evening was a wonderful musical tribute to Rhys, and £750 was raised for MNDA.
21st February 2023
Tribute to trumpeter Rhys Owens
On Saturday 18 March, there will be a concert in Liverpool in memory of Rhys Owens, who sadly passed away last year from motor neurone diseases. Welshman Rhys was principal trumpet of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for many years. Trumpeter Mark Powell asked Isabelle to compose a piece for brass quintet in celebration of Rhys’s life. The resulting Fantasy on Calon Lân - based on a well- known Welsh tune - will be performed in the concert.
Tickets for this event can be bought here.
Liverpool Parish Church (Our Lady and Saint Nicholas)
Saturday 18th March, 7:30 pm
Tickets for this event can be bought here.
Liverpool Parish Church (Our Lady and Saint Nicholas)
Saturday 18th March, 7:30 pm
3rd February 2023
East Bay Cool jazz EP now released
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New jazz EP East Bay Cool is now available for purchase on Bandcamp. The tunes on this EP are a heartfelt tribute to the composer's three years living in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.
Many thanks to performers from Cable Road Studios: Kevin Wright, Tim Lines and Whit Kerving; and to keyboard player Jason Scott and saxophonist Mike Smith. Also thanks for Tom Hutchinson for his artistic and technical input. |
27th January 2023
East Bay Cool - a new EP inspired by California
Isabelle teamed up with talented jazz musicians from Cable Road Studios for this EP release, called East Bay Cool in tribute to Isabelle's time living on the East Bay of San Francisco Bay. The tracks touch on different aspects of Isabelle's life during this period - work, recreation, time spent with friends, and sadness at leaving a special place.
The EP will be available on Bandcamp on Friday 3rd February 2023. |
23rd January 2023
Finding Lever performed at the Gladstone Theatre
A brand new play for our time - Finding Lever: Sunlight of Congo - was performed at the Gladstone Theatre on Wirral, on the 19th January 2023. The play was written by Kai Jolley, and explores ethical issues behind the sourcing of palm oil from the Belgian Congo by the famous Lever brothers, of Port Sunlight fame. Isabelle's original musical score was played as incidental and background music during the performance, which received a standing ovation. Some wonderful photos from the night can be seen here.
15th November 2022
Anthem for Doomed Youth played on Remembrance Sunday
Isabelle's vocal setting for tenor of Wilfred Owen's Anthem for Doomed Youth was played at this year's Remembrance Service of the Old Carolian's Association, Kidderminster.
21st September 2022
Song for Southport - commission completed
As per the news item from 4th August, Isabelle was commissioned to compose a new piece for Southport U3A Choir. Isabelle has now set to music the words provided by the choir, in a setting for soprano, alto, lower voices and piano. The piece is called Song for Southport. The choir director is very pleased with it, and will start rehearsals with the choir soon, with the aim of a first performance in spring 2023. Isabelle of course hopes to travel up to Southport to hear the première!
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4th August 2022
Commission for Southport U3A Choir
This one's going to be fun! Following a choral project last year, the soprano asked me if I'd write a new piece for her Southport U3A Choir - the answer was yes! It's always a joy to write for voices. The brief is to write a piece with local relevance, reflecting the group's strong friendship. The choir have provided me with a poem, and the next step is to take a little jaunt up to Southport to soak up the place and get the creative juices flowing! The piece will be performed towards the end of the year.
19th July 2022
Première of Dulce et Decorum Est
On Saturday, Wirral Symphony Orchestra gave a fabulous première of Isabelle's piece inspired by the Wilfred Owen Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est. You could have heard a pin drop at the end. The conductor was Michael Small. Isabelle was particularly pleased that this piece had its world première on the Wirral, since Wilfred Owen himself spent several years living in Birkenhead while growing up. The piece is scheduled for another performance in Sydney, Australia, in Autumn 2023.
5th July 2022
Successful première of Elemental Rhapsody
It was an absolute privilege this weekend to hear six amazing musicians perform "Elemental Rhapsody", which Isabelle composed earlier this year. They were all outstanding, and brought so much passion and nuance to the piece. A huge thank you to: Eva Thórarinsdóttir, Celia Goodwin (violins), Alex Mitchell, Nicholas Bootiman (violas), Alex Holladay, Hilary Browning (cellos). Also a big thank you to Thelma Handy for suggesting this piece be arranged for string sextet and performed at the Wirral Chamber Music Festival. It was an honour and a blast!
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7th May 2022
Tickets available for string première
Tickets are now available for the main event of the Wirral Chamber Music Festival, at which Isabelle's Elemental Rhapsody will be premièred in a special arrangement for string sextet.
14th April 2022
Trailer for Finding Lever soundtrack
The big night (27 April) is nearly here! Isabelle has finished composing original music for Kai Jolley's new play, and has tested out the soundtrack at rehearsal. Here is a preview of the music you will hear on the night!
13th March 2022
String première in Wirral Chamber Music Festival
Isabelle recently completed a new piece, Elemental Rhapsody for String Orchestra. This will be premièred in a special arrangement for string sextet at the main event of the Wirral Chamber Music Festival on Saturday 2nd July 2022, at All Saints Church, Thornton Hough.
The six string players are all members of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra:
More details are available here.
The six string players are all members of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra:
- Eva Thórarinsdóttir, Sarah Brandwood Spencer (violins)
- Nicolas Bootiman, Alex Mitchell (violas)
- Alex Holladay, Hilary Browning (cellos)
More details are available here.
26th February 2022
Orchestral première of Wilfred Owen piece on Wirral
Isabelle's orchestral piece based on Wilfred Owen's poem Dulce et Decorum Est will be premièred by Wirral Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 16th July in Hoylake Chapel. This Wirral venue for the world première is very fitting, as Wilfred Owen spent seven of his formative years living a few miles from Hoylake, in Birkenhead.
This orchestral piece will also be performed in Sydney, Australia, in 2023 - see the previous news item below. |
21st January 2022
Concert scheduled in Sydney, Australia
Isabelle's orchestral piece Dulce et Decorum Est, based on the poem by British poet Wilfred Owen, has been programmed for a concert in Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney, Australia, in October 2023. Click the image below for more information.
18th January 2022
New theatre soundtrack commission
Isabelle has been commissioned to compose a soundtrack for a brand new play, Finding Lever - Sunlight of Congo. The play will be performed by the Power Foundation for Young People in Port Sunlight, on Wednesday 27th April 2022. The script is written by Kaj Jolley, and the director is Christopher Lee-Power.
This commission follows on from a previous successful collaboration with the Power Foundation in summer 2021, when Isabelle composed music for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. |