Compositions

Sawyers began composing as a teenager and some of the works from this early period have enjoyed something of a renaissance in the past few years. The violin sonata of 1969 has received many performances in Europe in various cities including London, Paris, Brussels, Salzburg and Vienna. The music is published by Waveney Music Publishing Ltd and is available online from Fuller Music here

  • The “Symphonic Music for Strings and Brass” of 1972 was performed and broadcast in the USA (2002-3) by the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, the World Youth Orchestra at the Interlochen Summer Camp, as well as in England, most recently by the Bridgewater Band.
  • “Four Poems for Flute and String Orchestra” (1971) were performed as part of the London Orchestra series with soloist Kenneth Smith, principal flute of the Philharmonia Orchestra. The Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (1969) was performed during the 2005 Guildford Summer Festival as well as performances as far afield as Grove Park in London and Clun in Shropshire.
  • Recent work included a commission for a symphony from the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra as part of their 75th anniversary season in 2005 where the composer enjoyed a standing ovation from the audience at the symphony’s premiere.
  • The 2006 Guildford Festival included a new work, “Three Shropshire Songs” for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, and string quartet. Also that year saw the premiere of the new “Concertante for Violin, Piano, and String Orchestra” given in Blackheath, London, with further performances in Prague later in the year. The American connection is still strong with a new concert overture commissioned by the Albany (NY) Symphony Orchestra successfully premiered in Albany, New York State, in November 2006, and a further performance given in May 2007 in Arizona, by the Tuscon Symphony Orchestra.
  • The premiere of a new Octet commissioned by the exciting young ensemble Liquid Architecture was given as the opening work of the Chelsea Schubert Festival in September. To hear a studio recording of this work click here.
  • In the USA last November the Omaha Symphony Orchestra gave two performances of the Symphonic Music for Strings and Brass.
  • Amongst commissions for 2008 was one for the 10th anniversary of the Sydenham Festival when the London Mozart Players premiered the 2nd Symphony conducted by Robert Trory to enthusiastic public acclaim. An online review can be found here.
  • There were further USA performances in 2008/9, with more scheduled in the future.
  • The virtuoso nature of the ‘Gale of Life’ makes it no easy task for a professional orchestra, so it was remarkable to hear the Kent County Youth Orchestra under the inspired direction of American conductor Kenneth Woods give such a telling and musical performance in August 2008. For a fascinating insight into his work and to listen to the KCYO performance click here.
  • A CD with The Gale of Life, Symphonic Music for Strings and Brass and the 1st Symphony performed by the Grand Rapids Symphony conducted by David Lockington is now available. It is on the Nimbus Alliance label NI 6129 and can be obtained online at various sites including Amazon, Presto Classical, MusicWeb International, Crotchet Web Store, Classics Online, and in all good record stores and outlets. A review can be found at MusicWeb International

Full list of works:

  • String Quartet No.1 (1968)
  • Piano Quintet (1968)
  • Clarinet Quintet (1969)
  • Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano (1969)
  • 2 songs for baritone and piano (1969)
  • Divertimento for bassoon and string quartet (1969)
  • Divertimento for string orchestra (1970)
  • Chamber Music for 10 players (1970)
  • Pastoral for wind quintet (1970)
  • 4 poems for flute and string orchestra (1971)
  • Symphonic Music for Strings and Brass (1972)
  • String Quartet No.2 (1975)
  • Woodwind quintet (1975)
  • String Quartet No. 3 (1977)
  • Sentimental piece for cello and piano (1978)
  • Nocturne for cello and piano (1981)
  • Homage to Haydn for solo piano (1981)
  • Elegy for string quartet (1984)
  • Gloria, for use in church service (1985)
  • Octet for strings (1985)
  • Movement for solo cello (1993)
  • Meditation for string orchestra (1995)
  • Symphony No. 1 (2004)
  • 4 Shropshire songs for soprano, clarinet and string quartet (2005)
  • Concertante for violin, piano and string orchestra (2006)
  • Concert overture”The Gale of Life” (2006)
  • Symphony No. 2 (2007)
  • Octet (for mixed ensemble) (2007)
  • Sring Quartet (2008)
  • Cello concerto (2010)
  • Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano (2011)
  • Sonata for basset horn and piano (2011)
  • Movement for string quartet (2012)
  • Hommage to Kandinsky, a symphonic poem for orchestra (2013)
  • Songs of Loss and Regret for soprano and piano (2014)
  • Ritornello for David (2014)
  • Concerto for Trumpet, Strings and Timpani (2015)
  • Songs of Loss and Regret in version for soprano and string orchestra (2015)
  • Symphony No. 3 (2016)
  • Violin concerto (2016)
  • Elegiac Rhapsody for Trumpet and Strings (2016) (also in a version for trumpet and piano)
  • The Valley of Vision, a tone poem for orchestra (2017)
  • Fanfare (2017)
  • 3 Shakespeare Songs for a cappella choir (2017)
  • Symphony No. 4 (2018)
  • Mayflower on the Sea of Time (2018)
  • Double Concerto for Violin Cello and Orchestra (2020)
  • Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (2020)
  • Remembrance for string orchestra (2020)
  • Symphony No. 5 (2021)
  • Symphony No. 6 (2022)
  • Bagatelle for String Quartet  (2022)