• This CPDL Visitor ChoralWiki, updated daily, permits unrestricted downloads and no-edit viewing •
• To submit scores or edit pages, Register/login at the Contributor ChoralWiki •

Leanne Daharja Veitch

From ChoralWiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Life

Born: 1970

Biography
I grew up in South Australia, and apart from a few months free tuition with the local primary school on the violin, I did not receive any music training. Despite this setback, music was always an important part of my life, and I have been a keen listener and have had a keen interest in various forms and styles of music - in particular folk, country, and medieval.

Formative years were spent in Hong Kong (1981-1984), after which I returned to South Australia. I finally began to sing with choirs in my mid twenties, after being "talent spotted" singing in the shower at a friend's house.

I moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 1996 after finishing a few degrees. Since then, I've sung in various choirs, including a number of Australian Intervarsity Choral Societies Association choirs as well as the Melbourne Chamber Choir. I've also been a keen participant in the Intervarsity Choral festival movement, attending every festival between 1993 and 2007.

2007 brought a family migration to Dunedin, New Zealand, and I now sing in St. Paul's Cathedral Choir (Dunedin) and City of Dunedin Choir. Life is busy, and I find little time for composition, but a few pieces are in the pipeline, and I hope to be presenting them to the public soon.

I am new to composition and have no formal musical training. I write music because I love to do so, and whether what I write is any good or not is up to the listener to decide. I try to use my own text as much as possible to avoid copyright issues; as a professional writer this is easier for me. It also makes composition more fun and challenging!

Goals as a composer
My goals as a composer are to write music that is beautiful, as well as being straightforward to perform, and to write music that is freely accessible and available to all. I do not believe in esoteric, difficult text or content; what I write should be fairly possible for a choir or small group to perform to a decent standard on just a few rehearsals.

I'm also glad to be an example of yet another woman composer - there are far too many of us in the world! While women are making huge inroads in various other artistic forms, composition seems to be one that is lagging. As a woman with no formal musical training, I want to be an example to others: we can compose - we only need to have faith in ourselves!

Choral Works

"The Wheel Of The Year"

My first composition (The Wheel Of The Year) has now been performed over a dozen times in several countries (including Australia, the United States, Germany, Canada, Brazil and England). The response has been very positive, and this piece prompted requests from around the world to write more.

The Wheel Of The Year can be performed in its entirety or as individual movements, depending on the time of year, and the needs of the occasion. Some of the individual movements have found their way into the mainstream Australian Pagan community, and are now performed regularly at Circles and private and public gatherings at festivals such as Yule and Midsummer.

"Crescent Moon"

My second composition (Crescent Moon) was picked up by an Israeli composer within weeks of its premiere performance (in which it won second place in the RMIT Occasional Choral Society Composition Competition), who is now writing variations on the piece. The piece has recently been performed in New Zealand (August 2008), and has received requests and interests for performance and workshopping in the USA.

Other works

Other works that I have composed include:

A small choir a capella piece, called "I Will Grow A Garden". It is based on my experiences with permaculture, my efforts to come to terms with and make peace with the earth, and our struggle to learn to live sustainably and peaceably with the land in an honourable and respectful way. The piece is set for SSATB, with piano reduction for rehearsal purposes.

An a capella piece, called "Pied Beauty", based on the Gerard Manley Hopkins poem of that name. Set for SSAATB, with piano reduction for rehearsal purposes.

A small choir a capella piece, called "Mona Lisa", based on an original poem of my own. This is set for SATB, with piano reduction for rehearsal purposes.

The above pieces are not available freely, although I am considering making them available on CPDL in the near future.

Works in progress

I am currently working on a series of new Christmas carols, with original text. I am also working on an Easter piece, called The Sun King, with original text. These are intended for publication on CPDL. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2009.

Updates on the progress of my works can be found on my Blog, http://thechorister.blogspot.com.

Why I write

I write because I love music, and love to share my music and ideas with others. Whether my compositions are 'any good' I don't know, but people seem to enjoy them, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, so I will keep writing!

A Request from the Composer:

Feel free to print and sing these pieces, but please let me know if you perform them, and I would appreciate a copy of any recordings made.