It’s just over a year since many of Gavin’s friends and colleagues gathered at Schotts to celebrate the launch of THE BOOK, after which I  wrote a  short blog about the occasion and posted a discography of some of the recordings I’ve been involved with. The book is a thing of wonder, a beautifully produced and comprehensive  celebration of Gavin’s life and work (they’re the same thing) by his friends and colleagues. My chapter covers most of the vocal music, which had to be constantly updated as the composer wouldn’t (and still won’t) stop writing the stuff. There are contributions from Anna Maria Friman, Blake Morrison, Audrey Riley, Brian Moreton and a host of musicians whose lives have been enriched by Gavin and his music.  

It’s almost four decades since the Hilliard Ensemble performed Glorious Hill, the first of many works he would write for us.  Not just for us, but for groups that entered the Hilliard orbit such as Singer Pur and Trio Mediaeval; Red Byrd too, and many friends that Gavin made along the way. Anna Maria Friman and I sang with the GB Ensemble for some two decades; I’ve sung more of Gavin’s music than that of any other living composer. The gigs with Gavin’s ensemble (Morgan Goff, Nick Cooper, James Woodrow and Anna with Gavin himself on bass) were some of the most inspiring and enjoyable I’ve ever done, covering three continents from Vilnius to Adelaide.  

David Wordsworth and Leslie East’s book isn’t the only book about this composer – there’s also Jean-Louis Tallon’s Gavin Bryars en Paroles, en Musique, a riotous series of interviews in which JLT gets the juice straight from the source. 

It’s a great shame that there is no English translation (and that it has no index) but if you enjoy Gavin talking about his music and have a bit of French it’s essential reading. Amazon have it on Kindle but not the print at the moment. 

Happy Birthday Gavin!