Edward ("Eddie") McGuire (born 1948) is a Scottish composer whose work ranges from compositions for solo instruments and voice to large-scale orchestral and operatic works. McGuire studied composition with James Iliff at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

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from 1966 to 1970 and then with Ingvar Lidholm in

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in 1971.

Early life

McGuire was born and brought up in Possilpark in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. His father played folk violin and was a member of a male voice choir which sang arrangements of

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

and Irish songs at charity concerts.

Career

As a student at the

McGuire won the Hecht Prize (1968) and the National Young Composers Competition (held in Liverpool University in 1969). A competition organised by the Society for the Promotion of New Music to find a modern test piece for the 1978 Carl Flesch International Violin Competition was won by McGuire with a solo violin piece, ''Rant''. This piece was recently performed for a 65th birthday concert for McGuire organised by the BBC Scottish Symphony Club which was followed by another concert at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Another early success was when ''String Quartet'' was selected for the 40th anniversary Barbican Gala of the SPNM in 1983. His 3 act opera ''The Loving of Etain'' to a libretto by Marianne Carey was premiered by Paragon Opera at the Atheneum Theatre, Glasgow, in 1990. McGuire's 2 act opera ''Cullercoats Tommy'', with a libretto by Michael Wilcox was premiered by Northern Sinfonia and Northern Stage in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1993. McGuire received a British Composers' Award in 2003. In 2004 he received a Creative Scotland Award which allowed him to create the work ''Defying Fate''. He was commissioned to produce the finale for the 2006 St Magnus Festival, ''Ring of Strings''. Calgacus, first recorded in 1997 by BBCSSO at the London Proms was performed again by the same orchestra for 2014 Celtic Connections. His most frequently performed work has been his 3 act ballet ''Peter Pan'' staged by Scottish Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet over 120 times with a page dedicated to it on his website. McGuire plays the flute in the

folk group Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has bee ...

the Whistlebinkies. In January 2006 he travelled to

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

with the group to play a concert ("Scotland the Brave") with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. A CD of his music, ''Eddie McGuire: Music for Flute, Guitar and Piano'', on the Delphian Records label was 'Editor's Choice' in Gramophone magazine in 2006. In 2015 Delphian Records released ''Entangled Fortunes'' performed by the Red Note Ensemble and once again featured in Gramophone magazine 'Editor's Choice'

Selected compositions

* McGuire, Edward. Calgacus: Symphonic Poem. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1997. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Celtic Knotwork: for 3 recorders, voices, 4 flutes or 4 clarinets. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1990. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Violin Sonatina: for violin and piano. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1997. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Romance for Cello, Guitar, 1994. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1998. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Concerto for Trombone: for trombone and string orchestra. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1997. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Concerto for Viola: for viola and string orchestra. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1998. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Concerto for Cello: for cello and string orchestra, Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 2020. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Trio for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1971. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Prelude 22: (the Big Bang) : Solo Trumpet. Coventry: Warwick Music, 2005. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Symphony: for symphony orchestra. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1978. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Source: a Symphonic Poem: for symphony orchestra. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1979. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Rant: for solo violin. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1986. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Peter Pan: a ballet score in 3 acts: for symphony orchestra. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1990. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. String Trio II: McEwen Commission. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 2019. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. String Quartet: SPNM competition winner. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 1982. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Kaleidoscope Suite: for double wind quintet. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 2019. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. On Inchcolm: for SATB choir & ensemble to poem by Tom Furniss. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 2017. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Three Comic Sketches: suite for 4 bass clarinets. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 2020. Musical score. * McGuire, Edward. Euphoria: for sextet. Recorded by Red Note on Delphian. Glasgow: Scottish Music Centre, 2020. Musical score.

Selected recordings

* ''Albannach'', performed b
The Whistlebinkies
CDTRAX288 (2006) *

': Paisley Abbey Choir sings McGuire's
Three Donne Lyrics
', Priory PRCD 1234 (2020) * ''Embracing the Unknown'': Edinburgh String Quartet, John Kenny (trombone), Catriona McKay (harp) play McGuire's ''Guest Sextet'' (BC3010
Brass Classics
(2009) *
Entangled Fortunes
': Red Note Ensemble, includes ''Elegy'', ''Euphoria'', String Trio, ''Entangled Fortunes'', Quintet 2, Delphian CDDCD34157 (2015) * ''Fast Peace 3''. ''Point of Departure'', Alma Duo (Phyllis Kamrin, viola, and Michael Goldberg, guitar), Kamelion KA9001CD (1994) * ''Flotilla'': the Flotilla trio of 2 soprano saxophones and alto saxophone perform McGuire's ''Remembrance'' (ATKS 0802
Big Shed Music
(2008) * ''Guitar Phases'': Stefan Grasse performs McGuire's ''Dark Cloud'' for 8 guitars
Xolo CD 1033
(2014) *
Knotwork
': the Fell Clarinet Quartet perform McGuire's ''Celtic Knotwork'' and ''Chinese Knotwork'', Delphian DCD34065 (2008) *
Luminate: Live Music Now Scotland Celebrates 30 Years
'. Includes ''Dance Suite for Two'', Delphian DCD34153-CD (2015) *
Music for Flute, Guitar and Piano
', includes ''Dancing Memories'', ''Harbour of Harmonies'', ''Twelve White Note Pieces'', Delphian DCD34029 (2006): Nancy Ruffer (flute), Abigail James (guitar) and Dominic Saunders (piano) * ''The Prairie Song Project'': Amy Morris (flute) and Michael Heaston (piano) perform McGuire's ''Aria'
Prairie Song Project
(2012) * ''Six Small Pieces in C major'', ''Prelude 7'', Richard Deering (piano)
Heritage HTGCD142 (2023)
* ''Upstart Jugglers'': Mr McFall's Chamber ensemble perform McGuire's ''Nocturnes'', MMCC 003 (2001)Mr McFalls Chamber
(2001) * ''Viola Pieces''. James Durrant performs McGuire's ''Divertimento for 20 Violas'', ''Prelude 6'' and ''Martyr'' Alto Records CD1 (1994)

References

External links