Edward McGuire's main compositions at a glance, with orchestra at premiere:
ORCHESTRAL WORKS Calgacus (symphonic poem for full orchestra including Highland Bagpipes) BBCSSO 1976 (16') Source Reflections on Niel Gunn's novel Highland River (symphonic poem) BBCSSO 1979 (19') Riverside (symphonic poem for folk group & orchestra) Scottish Chamber Orchestra 1991 (17') The Caledonian Muse (symphonic rhapsody for orchestra) Glasgow Chamber Orchestra 1995 (15') The Meadow's Muse (symphonic rhapsody for orchestra) Meadows Chamber Orchestra 1997 (12') Clyde Built (overture for full orchestra The Ulster Orchestra 2008 (5') Hall of Memories (overture for orchestra) BBCSSO 2006 (6') Encores en Suite (3 sets of folk dances & tunes for full orchestra) BBCSSO 2010 (9') The Spirit of Wallace (short symphonic poem) BBCSSO 1997 (11') A Glasgow Symphony (for full orchestra) National Youth Orchestra of Scotland 1990 (35') Homage to Glasgow (for full orchestra) Really Terrible Orchestra 2012 (5') Peter Pan: Suite (from the ballet score) Strathclyde University Orchestra 1994 (30') Junk Shop Blues (on Joan Eardley's Rag and Bone Shop) Scottish Chamber Orchestra 2006 (4') Symphonies of Scots Song (with bagpipes) Royal Scottish National Orchestra 1992 (15') Symphonies of Trains (for chamber orchestra) Camerata 1992 (15') Scottish Dances on Original Themes (full orchestra) RSAMD Junior Orchestra 1989 (18')
SYMPHONIC BRASS Earthrise - symphonic poem for brass band (2003) West Lothian Brass (filmed by StAMP 2021)
CONCERTOS Guitar Concerto Phillip Thorne / Glasgow Festival Strings at Glasgow Garden Festival 1988 Trombone Concerto John Kenny / Glasgow Festival Strings at Aix en Provence Festival 1992 Violin Concerto Cleo Gould / RSNO at Perth Festival of the Arts 1999 Viola Concerto Gillianne Haddow / Glasgow Festival Strings at International Viola Congress 1998 Cello Concerto Robert Irvine / Broen Ensemble 2021 Doublebass Concerto Alice Durrant / Glasgow Schools Symphony Orchestra 1994 Accordion Concerto Owen Murray / Goldberg Ensemble at RNCM Manchester 1999 Harp Concerto (in preparation) Timpani Concerto (in preparation)
BALLET SCORES Peter Pan (ballet in 3 acts) for orchestra Scottish Ballet / Hong Kong Ballet 1989 (1 hour 45') Defying Fate (Tian Di Yuan) ballet in 1 act Harmony Ensemble / The Whistlebinkies 2005 (25') The Spirit of Flight (ballet in 1 act) Glasgow Festival Strings / The Whistlebinkies 1991 (15')
OPERAS The Loving of Etain in 3 acts, libretto by Marianne Carey, 14-piece orchestra Paragon Opera 1990 Cake-Talk youth opera in 2 acts, libretto by Marianne Carey, full orchestra, chorus RSNO 1996 Helen of Braemore in 2 acts, libretto by Peter Isaac, fl/va/harp/perc/pipes Country Opera 1997 Cullercoats Tommy in 1 act, libretto by Michael Wilcox, orch, chorus, dancers Northern Sinfonia 1993 (65') MUSIC FOR ENSEMBLES Celtic Knotwork versions for 3 recorders; 3 women's voices (Scottish Voices); 3 flutes (Scottish Flute Trio); 4 flutes; 4 clarinets (Fell Quartet); 3 saxophones (Flotilla); flute, clarinet and bassoon (for the Cuillin Sound trio) Chinese Knotwork for 4 clarinets (recorded by the Fell Quartet) Chamber Music: Guevara's Epitaph3 cl/hp/piano (won National Young Composers Competition 1969) Dangerous Orations (Martin Luther King Jr memorial) fl/cl/vn/va/vc/pf/hp/3 perc for Paragon Ensemble Dark Cloud for guitar octet commissioned by Phillip Thorne recorded by Stefan Grasse Divertimento for 20 violas for Scottish Viola International, recorded by James Durrant 1986 Elegy violin, cello, piano for Coker-Manson Trio recorded on Delphian 'Entangled Fortunes' 1992 Entangled Fortunes cl, vn, vc, piano for Sir James Mirrlees, recorded on Delphian 'Entangled Fortunes' 2015 Euphoria Fl,Cl, Vn, Vc, Piano, Perc for The Fires of London, on Delphian 'Entangled Fortunes' (Red Note Ensemble) Fantasy Quartet Vn Va Vc Piano commissioned by the Naxos Piano Quartet Five Stars in Auriga brass quintet for Fine Arts Brass, recorded by Alba Brass on their own label Flute Octet 5 Fl 2 AltoFl Bfl for Scottish International Flute Summer School Guest Quintet for Edinburgh String Quartet with a guest soloist: guitar, cor anglais, trombone or clarinet Guest Sextet same string quartet part but with trombone and harp (recorded on Brass Classics by John Kenny) Harp Octet in honour of Sanchia Pielou on her retirement. Performed at Edinburgh International Harp Festival Interregnum 2Fl Cl Vn Va Vc Harp for the New Music Group of Scotland, broadcast BBC Radio 3 Kist O' Whistles folk ensemble/organ for The Whistlebinkies and Michael Bonaventure Lament (Bassoon Octet) for British Music Information Centre open day 1989. Performed Sound festival Aberdeen Liberation Fl Cl Va Harp for New Music Group of Scotland, broadcast BBC Radio 3 Movement Fl Va Harp for the New Music Group of Scotland Nocturne and Sunrise 5 guitars for Nuremberg Guitar Society (Saitenwirbel) premiere July 16th 2021 Quintet 1 Cl Vn Va Vc Piano for Quintessence Quintet 2 Fl Cl Vn Vc Piano for Lontano; recorded on Delphian 'Entangled Fortunes' by Red Note ensemble Remembrance for 3 oboes composed for the Park Lane Series at the Purcell Room 1992 Resistance Movement for Flute, guitar and piano recorded on Delphian 'Eddie McGuire: Music' 2006 String Quartet won competition for quartet for SPNM 40th anniversary gala (Arditti Quartet) Lochrian Quartet Three Comic Sketches for 4 bass clarinets for Jane Forder, premiered by Calum Robertson June 2020 Rebirth Fl Cl Vn Vc Pf Perc for New Music Group of Scotland premiered at Edinburgh International Festival Trio Fl Ob Bn commemorating the end of the Vietnam war Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano 1966. Recorded by Daniel's Beard on their own label Western Light 3 Fl Guitar for the Scottish Flute Trio and Alan Neave Wild Woods viola, trombone, percussion, electronic sounds Wind Octet 2 Ob 2 Cl 2 Bn 2 Hn McEwen commission for BBCSSO players 1980; recorded by Paragon Ensemble Winds at Sea Fl Ob Cl Bn for the Illuminati Wind Quartet Zephyr for trombone and string quartet, recorded by John Kenny and Chamber Group on Brass Classics
CHORAL WORKS Celtic Knotwork 3 sopranos (or 2 sop/1 alto) in C for Cappella Nova; in A for Scottish Voices. Text by composer.
Eastern Light SATB for Cappella Nova to text by Yusef al-Khatib Lifesongs SATB/strings for the John Currie Singers to texts by Alan Bold
Memory SATB for Cappella Nova/Alan Tavener to poems by Simon Steel On Inchcolm SATB with optional instruments Heriot Watt New Music/Steve King to poem by Tom Furniss
2017 Pipes of Peace for large chorus with bagpipes (small, Lowland & Highland) RSNO Chorus/Robert Wallace 1986 Three Chorales of Struggle SATB for Cadenza Choir/Graham Lovatt to texts by composer
Three Donne Lyrics SATB for Paisley Abbey Choir & bass flute (Ewan Robertson) 2020 to texts by John Donne
SONGS & SONG CYCLES Songs from the North soprano & brass quintet (to text by Eddie McGuire) Songs of New Beginnings mezzo & wind quartet (to 7 poems by Marianne Carey) Quest soprano & ensemble (to poems by various authors including Marianne Carey) Five Songs for soprano, viola & piano (to poems by Janet Humberger) Reves de la Bonne Heure soprano & piano (to poem in French by Eddie McGuire)
INSTRUMENTAL SOLOS with accompaniment Aria flute & piano Sonatina flute & piano Sonatina trumpet & piano
Sonatina violin & piano
Caprice flute & piano Cowal Colours flute & harp Elegiac Waltz clarinet & piano Reflection violin & piano
Thalamion cello & piano Three Dialogues cello & piano Wise Owl oboe & piano Dialogue of Flute and Organ flute & organ
Fantasy guitar (1967)
Martyr viola (1972)
Rant violin (1978)Amazonia guitar
(1987) Soundweft clarinet
(1986) Harbour of Harmonies piano
(2000)
Dancing Memories flute (2001)
PIANO MUSIC Music for Pianos (1970) - for piano ensemble (eg 6 pianos) Reflections (1979) - for 2 pianos Four Nocturnes (1999) - solo piano Harbour of Harmonies (2000) - solo piano
Farewell (2009) - solo piano (in memory Tom McGrath) Botanic Gardens (2016) - for 4 players at 2 pianos (for Glasgow Botanic Gardens 200th anniversary) Melody of Megaliths (2022) - solo piano (in memory Morris Pert)
