Warren, Raymond (Henry Charles)

Warren, Raymond (Henry Charles), English composer and teacher; b. Weston-super-Mare, Nov. 7, 1928. He studied with Robin Orr at Corpus Christi Coll., Cambridge (1949-52; M.A., 1952), continuing his education at the Univ. of Cambridge (M.A., 1955; Mus.D., 1967); he also was a student of Tippett (1952-54) and Berkeley (1958). In 1955 he became a teacher at Queen’s Univ. in Belfast, where he was a prof, from 1966 to 1972. From 1972 to 1994 he was a prof, at the Univ. of Bristol. He publ. Opera Workshops: Studies in Understanding and Interpretation (Brookfield, 1995).

Works

dramatic: The Lady of Ephesus, chamber opera (1958; Belfast, Feb. 16, 1959); Finn and the Black Hag, children’s opera (Belfast, Dec. 11, 1959); Graduation Ode, comic opera (Belfast, Nov. 20,1963); 3 children’s church operas: Let My People Go (Liverpool, March 22, 1972), Si. Patrick (Liverpool, May 3, 1979), and In the Beginning (Clifton, July 22, 1982); incidental music for plays. ORCH.: Nocturne (1964); 2 syms. (1965, 1969); Violin Concerto (1966); Seaside Sketches (1968); Wexford Bells (1970). CHAMBER: 3 string quartets (1965, 1975, 1977); Duo Concertante for Cello and Piano (1972); Burnt Norton Sketches for Piano Trio (1985); Exchanges for Oboe and Piano (1986); Violin Sonata (1993). P i a n o : 2 sonatas (1952, 1977). VOCAL: 2 oratorios: The Passion (Belfast, Dec. 11,1959) and Continuing Cities (Bristol, April 22, 1989); choral pieces; song cycles; solo songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire