Selected collaboration for the 2022 Picture Gallery Composer-in-Residence Scheme
About the music creator
Joseph Silmon-Clyde (b. 2001) started composing at the age of 15 and after a very short period of time, composing became a significant part of his musical learning. Early in his musical journey, Joseph played the cello, then moved to the piano and double bass; this is often reflected in his instrumental work. Since then, he has written pieces for Gloucestershire Academy of Music, which have been performed in their concerts and have been received well by teachers and students who have workshopped and performed his pieces. His musical output mainly consists of instrumental pieces, and he specialises in chamber writing which are usually the pieces performed. He has written pieces that have been performed in Gloucester Cathedral, one example being an orchestra piece for his Sixth Form orchestra, which was included in his school’s Christmas concert. Since school, he has received commissions from Gloucestershire Academy of Music for arranging and composing, both of which he commented were extremely enjoyable to take part in. One example that stands out is a concert for which he was commissioned to arrange Ukrainian folk songs for GAM’s cello ensembles. This was a charity concert for Ukraine and was performed in Cheltenham town hall in June 2022.
On being selected for this opportunity, Joseph says: "I am very grateful for the opportunity to collaborate and work with the choirs of Royal Holloway and I am excited to further develop my understanding of choral writing”
About the creative writer
Karen Cheung (b. 1993) is a writer from Hong Kong. She is the author of The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir (Random House, 2022), which has been longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. Her work, which explores politics, music, and heartbreak, has appeared in the New York Times, Foreign Policy, New Statesman, The Rumpus, Evergreen Review, The Offing, and elsewhere. She has been a featured author at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival and Ozfest Asia's In Other Words, and given readings at City, University of London, The New School, and PS122 Gallery, amongst others. She was formerly an editor at a contemporary art archive, and a news reporter.
On being selected for this opportunity, Karen comments: "I'm interested in the fluidity between artistic mediums—how words translate into a choral piece, and then into sound and performance. It's an honour to be able to collaborate with Royal Holloway's world-class choir and musicians!"
Image of Joseph Silmon-Clyde & Karen Cheung
