Solo and Keyboard music
Listed chronologically.
Partita: Jesu, meine Freude (1968, rev.1979) organ
dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Armour
dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Armour
4 movements, duration: 10 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 25 September 1976, St Peter's Church, Antrim Road, Belfast.
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 25 September 1976, St Peter's Church, Antrim Road, Belfast.
Icon (1972) organ
dedicated to Arnold Richardson
dedicated to Arnold Richardson
duration: 19 minutes
Canto (1972, rev.1982 and 1990) flute
duration: 10 minutes
Canto was revised in 1982 for its first performance, given by Ingrid Culliford at the St Bartholomew's Festival, London, on 24 June 1982. It was further revised in 1990 and published in 1993 by The Contemporary Music Centre Ltd., Dublin (CMC 3001).
The score is prefaced with words from Joseph Campbell's The Tower of Marl.
Canto was revised in 1982 for its first performance, given by Ingrid Culliford at the St Bartholomew's Festival, London, on 24 June 1982. It was further revised in 1990 and published in 1993 by The Contemporary Music Centre Ltd., Dublin (CMC 3001).
The score is prefaced with words from Joseph Campbell's The Tower of Marl.
duration: 11 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 11 June 1975, St Michael's Church, Dún Laoghaire, Ireland
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 11 June 1975, St Michael's Church, Dún Laoghaire, Ireland
duration: 10 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, piano, 16 November 1975, Belfast Festival at Queen's University, Belfast.
First perf: Norman Finlay, piano, 16 November 1975, Belfast Festival at Queen's University, Belfast.
Short clip from Five stoned cherries
Five stoned cherries.mp3
duration: 10 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 15 May 1976, Whitla Hall, Queen's University, Belfast.
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 15 May 1976, Whitla Hall, Queen's University, Belfast.
duration: 10 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 13 July 1978, Dunfermline Abbey, Scotland.
First NI perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 19 November 1982, Ulster Hall, Belfast, Belfast Festival at Queen's.
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 13 July 1978, Dunfermline Abbey, Scotland.
First NI perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 19 November 1982, Ulster Hall, Belfast, Belfast Festival at Queen's.
5 movements, duration: 15 minutes
First perf: Thérèse Timoney, violin, 10 January 1980, Dublin Festival of 20th Century Music, Trinity College, Dublin; Second perf: Alan Smale, violin, SFB, Haus des Rundfunks, Berlin, 13 May 1980.
First perf: Thérèse Timoney, violin, 10 January 1980, Dublin Festival of 20th Century Music, Trinity College, Dublin; Second perf: Alan Smale, violin, SFB, Haus des Rundfunks, Berlin, 13 May 1980.
Dragons (1979) organ
dedicated to Norman Finlay
8 movements, duration: 11 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 6 February 1979, St George's Parish Church, Belfast
The LP was recorded at Belfast Cathedral in 1985 on Priory PR 178. The Gramophone review (September 1986) said: "Norman Finlay plays 20th-Century Irish Organ Music from Belfast Cathedral is a title to stir the imagination. The three composers representing their country and their century are David Byers, Piers Hellawell and Philip Hammond. Byers occupies the first side, with his Dragons, a whimsical eight movements with titles like An old flame (the dragon that cried) and Puff the magic dragon. It's a humorous strip cartoon using present-day techniques and vivid tone-colours, not toffee-nosed in any way — or how could it quote The Teddy Bears’ Picnic? It's superbly played on the fine Harrison organ by Norman Finlay, as is the complex and fascinating Prelude: the perpetual round [first movement, Verses]."
LP sleeve design: R.J. Croft
See Programme note.
Short clip from Dragons
Dragons.mp3
duration: 10 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay & Martin Ennis, organs, 2 May 1980, Ballywalter Parish Church (Music in May)
First perf: Norman Finlay & Martin Ennis, organs, 2 May 1980, Ballywalter Parish Church (Music in May)
In Nomine (1980) organ See Programme note.
duration: 8 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 1 July 1980, Dublin International Organ Festival
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 1 July 1980, Dublin International Organ Festival
Short clip from In nomine
In nomine.mp3
3 movements (Prelude: the perpetual round (1982); In nomine (1980) and Mr Finlay's Fancy (1982))
duration: 27 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 11 July 1982, Heiliggeistkirche, Heidelberg, Germany, International Summer Organ Festival.
duration: 27 minutes
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 11 July 1982, Heiliggeistkirche, Heidelberg, Germany, International Summer Organ Festival.
Magnificat (1983) organ
dedicated to Norman Finlay
dedicated to Norman Finlay
duration: to be confirmed
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 26 June 1983, St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. See Programme note.
First perf: Norman Finlay, organ, 26 June 1983, St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. See Programme note.
Short clip from Magnificat
Magnificat.mp3
Ne pereamus (1984) harp
dedicated to Denise Kelly 3 movements; duration: 11 minutes
Ne pereamus was commissioned by Denise Kelly who gave it its first performance at Malahide Castle on 13 June 1984 (Music Festival in Great Irish Houses) and a second performance at the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, Dublin, on 1 July 1984. See Programme note.
Ne pereamus was commissioned by Denise Kelly who gave it its first performance at Malahide Castle on 13 June 1984 (Music Festival in Great Irish Houses) and a second performance at the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, Dublin, on 1 July 1984. See Programme note.
Tuba mirum (1984) organ
duration: to be confirmed. Commissioned by Jonathan Gregory.
First perf: Jonathan Gregory, 6 July 1984, St Paul's Cathedral, London.
"Preview": 30 June 1984 , St George's Parish Church, Belfast. See Programme note.
First perf: Jonathan Gregory, 6 July 1984, St Paul's Cathedral, London.
"Preview": 30 June 1984 , St George's Parish Church, Belfast. See Programme note.
St. Columba and the Crane (1985) A Nō Play for tuba & tape See Programme note.
dedicated to Hilary Bracefield
dedicated to Hilary Bracefield
duration: 10 minutes
First perf: Melvyn Poore, tuba, Sonorities, Northern Ireland's Festival of 20th Century Music, 27 April 1985. Commissioned by the Sonorities Festival.
First perf: Melvyn Poore, tuba, Sonorities, Northern Ireland's Festival of 20th Century Music, 27 April 1985. Commissioned by the Sonorities Festival.
Short clip from St. Columba and the Crane
Byers St Columba and the Crane.mp3
Distractions of the Mind (1998) piano See Programme note.
duration: 7½ minutes
Short clip from Distractions of the Mind
Distractions of the Mind.mp3
Three Epigrams of Janus (2000) piano See Programme note.
The Rising of the Moon (2002) piano See Programme note.
Echoes of Survival (2004) piano See Programme note.
duration: 4 minutes
David Quigley's CD recording of this piece on Lorelt LNT122 can be sampled for free and, if wanted, downloaded here for 79p. First perf: Jonathan Byers, cello, Chapel of Santa Marija ta' Bir Miftuh, Malta, Bir Miftuh International Music Festival, 21 May 2005.
A Full Moon (2008) piano See Programme note.
duration: 6 minutes
A Full Moon
was commissioned by RTÉ lyric fm for the AXA Dublin International Piano
Competition (May 2009) and it is dedicated to John O’Conor. The piece has been published in Piano Album VI, 2009, by the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland (CMC 1023) and has been recorded for RTÉ by Michael McHale.A New Moon (2008) piano See Programme note.
duration: 4½ minutes