Upcoming Humanist Events

Humanist? Music?
What's that all about?
Well, no matter what you have heard, music doesn't fall from the clouds. Every piece of music has been created by human musicians. If composers aren't writing for the solo human voice then it almost always involves musical technology. Examples of extraordinary fine tuning in the evolution of instruments can be seen in the development of, say, the elegant violin and the majestic music-making machine that is the grand piano, to mention but two.

William Morris is a musician and a composer and he was recently appointed to be the first Director of Music for the British Humanist Association.
William will share with us his thoughts about the experience, so far, of writing music for the BHA. He will also discuss the idea of music as identity and what that says about a company or an association. He might ask us some questions. Such as; what we want our music to say about us?
We can ask him some questions. We might even have a sing-along.
William will be illustrating his talk with, what else, music.

Some more about William Morris
He is a freelance composer, musical director, educator and performer. He has an MA in Composition for Film and Television with distinction and as the recently appointed Director of Music for the British Humanist Association has been writing music for their ceremonies and special occasions.

He has received commissions across many varied media, including the award winning film Facing Mara (Native Voice Films), the BBC radio play The Glasshouse, and most recently the More4 documentary On That Day. William has also been involved in collaboration projects such as with artist Fran Barrault, composing and performing a series of piano music to her images, Bridges of Light.

William has produced a wide range of compositions ranging from children's music to stirring ceremonial anthems. He has more recently concentrated on his collaboration with Simon Warne writing the musicals Rasputin (Greenwich Musical Futures), What You Will (Royal Academy workshop) and Stratford Street (Chicago ANMT and The Kings Head, Islington) along with film and animation work.

He has enjoyed being Musical Director for Company (Questors Theatre, 2007), Singin' in the Rain (Richmond Theatre, 2004), as well as working with Riding Lights Theatre Company children's workshops, both as MD and producing songs to accompany their work. Other educational work includes a successful private teaching practice and teaching at The Royal Ballet School.

William started his musical career as a chorister in the famous Temple Church choir becoming principal soloist and Head Chorister. With them he sung on radio, television and as a soloist with the Royal Choral Society.

William Morris is published by Chichester Music Press and is a member of PRS, MCPS and is a Professional Writing Associate of Mercury Musical Developments.