Medway lecturer’s music gets BBC broadcast

The 8-minute composition features vocals from renowned mezzo soprano Loré Lixenberg – who starred in Jerry Springer: The Opera in London’s West End – alongside the Backbeat Percussion Quartet. The concerts were staged by the SPNM – the Society for the Promotion of New Music.

Music Technology lecturer Paul said he was thrilled that his piece featured in the production. ‘It was exciting to see my work being performed on stage. I’d like my music to reach as many different audiences as possible and so it’s satisfying to have this sort of recognition, especially with the BBC broadcast,’ he said.

The pieces featured in the concert were based on the theme of riot and social protest. Paul’s composition took its inspiration from the Stonewall riots of New York in 1969, when police clashed with members of the gay rights movement.

Paul is no stranger to musical success. His pieces have been performed in festivals and concerts around the world, and last year he was selected by judges at the SPNM for a place on its elite shortlist of composers.

The SPNM promotes the work of its composers through seasons of concerts and events, which introduce innovative musical works to audiences across the United Kingdom.

Many of the country’s leading composers made their first professional performances thanks to the organisation’s backing.

Paul joined the University of Kent at Medway in 2005 and is now developing a range of degrees and research programmes. Previously he taught composition in a variety of educational establishments, including the Royal Academy of Music.