Alistair Warwick conducting Stirling University Choir with professional orchestra in Messiah

Conducting

Alistair's passion is enabling people of all abilities to make music.

As a teenager, he conducted several ensembles, and Bexley Music School rewarded him with a scholarship to study conducting with Bryan Fairfax to learn how to do it properly!

He studied conducting with Sebastian Forbes, Alasdair Mitchell, Owen Rees and Nicholas Conran (including Feldenkrais, using gentle movement and directed attention to improve communicative gesture), and more recently with Nigel Boddice (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland).

Alistair has also participated in choral-direction masterclasses with Mike Brewer, Stephen Cleobury and David Hill.

Since 2009 Alistair Warwick has been Conductor of the Stirling University Choir, as well as its occasional Chamber Choir.

He founded the Dunblane Chamber Orchestra in 2008, and conducted their first three concerts.

He has also conducted the Rosenethe Singers in concert (December 2006, March 2008 and May 2010), as well as taking many full and sectional rehearsals.

What people say

  • That was terrific!
  • John Rutter’s captivating Requiem [was] sensitively and movingly performed by the 70-strong choir of students, staff and members of the local community… The choir has come on by leaps and bounds since its formation in 1971 and on Saturday’s showing is one to watch.
  • There were moments when it was hard to realise that this was an amateur orchestra.
  • That wasn't just good, that was fabulous!
  • I thought it was beautiful.
  • The balance, rhythm and vocal quality were striking – and I could feel the audience around me respond.
  • The University Choir are sounding better than I've ever heard them.
  • Thoroughly enjoyed your uni choir concert this evening… The choir produced a fantastic, rich sound.
  • It was inspirational to choose Mackenzie's Benedictus.
  • Congratulations on an excellent concert.
  • I learned more from you in one short rehearsal than I have in years.
  • Thank you so much for what the choir did with the new song; I thought it was beautiful.
  • You're a great educator!
  • Your performances are always full of life!

Repertoire

Alistair's repertoire is wide-ranging, both in musical style – from chant to jazz – and in the size of the musical group – from just a few singers or instrumentalists to ensembles of over 100 performers.

Choral performances

too numerous to count, but they include:

with orchestra/instrumental ensemble
* directed from organ/harpsichord

  • various: opera arias and choruses
  • Bach, JS: Cantata 140 'Wachet auf' †
  • Bach, JS: Mass in A BWV243 †
  • Bach, JS: Cantatas 11, 129, 147
  • Bach, JS: Magnificat (BWV243) † *
  • Bernstein: West Side Story (choruses and solos)
  • Charpentier: Laudate Dominum
  • Charpentier: Messe de Minuit †
  • Charpentier: Te Deum H146 † *
  • Chilcott: Little Jazz Mass
  • Duruflé: Requiem
  • Dvořák: Songs of Nature
  • Dvořák: Mass in D
  • Elgar: The Spirit of the Lord
  • Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine
  • Fauré: Requiem
  • Finzi: Et in terra pax †
  • Gabrieli: In ecclesiis †
  • Grainger: Brigg Fair
  • Handel: Coronation Anthems †
  • Handel: Messiah † *
  • Haydn: Creation † *
  • Haydn: Nelson Mass †
  • Jenkins: The Armed Man † *
  • Lassus: Justorum animae
  • Lauridsen: O magnum mysterium
  • MacMillan: Nunc Dimittis
  • Mendelssohn: Elijah
  • Mozart: Mass K197 †
  • Mozart: Coronation Mass K317 †
  • Mozart: Coronation Mass K317 †
  • Mozart: Laudate Dominum K339 †
  • Mozart: Splendente te, Deus (adap. from K345) †
  • Mozart: Ave verum corpus K618 †
  • Mozart (completed Süssmayr): Requiem K622 †
  • Parry: I was glad
  • Purcell: Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei
  • Rutter: Requiem †
  • Rutter: A Gaelic Blessing
  • Scarlatti D: Stabat Mater
  • Sparey, Carolyn: Christmas Bells
  • Sparey, Carolyn: Five Burns Songs
    including two world premieres: 'O wert thou in the cauld blast' and 'A Man's a Man'
  • Sullivan, Arthur (aka Gilbert & Sullivan): The Pirates of Penzance
  • Vaughan Williams: Five Mystical Songs
  • Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music
  • Victoria: O magnum mysterium
  • Vivaldi: Gloria
  • Welsh traditional, arr. Jayne Davies: Ar lan y môr (Beside the sea)

Orchestral performances

* directed from organ/harpsichord

  • Bach JS: Concerto in D minor for 2 Violins
  • Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite no 3 *
  • Beethoven: Symphony No 9 (Finale)
  • Britten: Simple Symphony
  • Copland: Happy Anniversary
  • Copland: Quiet City
  • Corelli: Concerto Grosso Op 6, no 8 "Christmas Concerto"
  • Delius: Brigg Fair
  • Elgar: Serenade for Strings
  • Franceschini: Sonata in D for two trumpets *
  • Gabrieli: In ecclesiis
  • Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F
  • Grieg: Holberg Suite
  • Handel: The Pendlebury Water Music *
  • Haydn: Symphony no 85 "La Reine"
  • Haydn: Trumpet Concerto
  • Ives: The Unanswered Question
  • Judd, Graham: Earthwork
    (First performance: University of Surrey, 12 March 1997)
  • Judd, Graham: Russian Ballet
    (First performance: University of Surrey, 1997)
  • Mackenzie: Benedictus
  • Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture
  • Morricone: Gabriel's Oboe
  • Mozart: Divertimento in D K136
  • Mozart: Serenade in B flat K361
  • Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik K525
  • Mozart: Masonic Funeral Music K477
  • Mozart: Clarinet Concerto K622
  • Pergolesi arr. Barbirolli: Oboe Concerto *
  • Purcell: Trumpet Sonata *
  • Schubert: Symphony no 5
  • Stravinsky: Suites for Small Orchestra
  • Telemann: Trumpet Concerto in D *
  • Telemann: Concerto for three trumpets
  • Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
  • Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto in D RV93 *

Choral and orchestral rehearsals

Alistair has prepared orchestras and choirs for performance. Works include:

  • Bach: Brandenburg Concerto 3
  • Bach: Concerto for Oboe and Violin
  • Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
  • Beethoven: Egmont overture
  • Beethoven: Symphonies 4, 5, 7, 8, 9
  • Copland: Three Dances from Rodeo
  • de Falla: The Three-Cornered Hat
  • Elgar: Sea Pictures
  • Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius
  • Goodall: Eternal Light
  • Holst: The Hymn of Jesus
  • Kodaly: Missa Brevis
  • Lerner: Camelot
  • MacMillan: A New Song
  • MacRae: Adam lay y-bounden
  • Mahler: Symphony 4
  • Orff: Carmina Burana
  • Purcell: The Fairy Queen
  • Puccini: Messa di Gloria
  • Rachmaninov: Vespers (All Night Vigil) Op 37 No 6 – Bogoroditse Devo
  • Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle
  • Sibelius: Karelia Suite
  • Sibelius: Symphonies 2 & 5
  • Stravinsky: Concertino for 12 instruments
  • Stravinsky: Dumbarton Oaks
  • Stravinsky: Petrouchka
  • Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations
  • Vaughan Williams: Sinfonia Antartica
  • Vierne: Messe Solennelle
  • Walton: Belshazzar's Feast
  • Weber: Der Freischütz overture
  • Webern: Concerto, Op 24
  • Yeadon, Joseph: "Ummm… (can't think what to call it!)"

CD recordings

See my recordings page for CDs and broadcasts as organist, recording producer or engineer

Contact

Contact Alistair Warwick at:
Ardarroch, Glen Road, Dunblane, FK15 0GY, Scotland
+44 (0)1786 823000 | +44 (0)7792 566349
hello(at)alistairwarwick.com