Martin Smith: Carl Orff Competition 2020 Cherry Ripe - a 17th Century London Street Cry

Martin Smith Born 1955. MA Cambridge 1976. Organ (aged 16-18) with John Dussek, a descendant of J.L. Dussek (1760-1812 and piano course (1989) tutored by Frederic Aguessy. Performance of 'Finale' for Tenor, Flute and Piano at King's College, Cambridge, 1975. Churchill College Choral Competition Prize 1975. Second Chance Award from Dartington College, 2003. Return to composition on the Isle of Bryher, Scilly - 2003, notably setting Wordsworth's 'Daffodils' and 'Sumer is icumen in' after encountering live wild daffodils on the island. Shrewsbury Music Course 2012, meeting Margaret Fingerhut, who later played though ten of my songs with me on two pianos at the Birmingham Conservatiore (January 2013). This was the last time I was in the UK; I live in Bolnisi, Georgia; and am an English teacher (mainly online). On two occasions I have had musical 'retreats' - at Elpha Green Cottage, Northumberland, 2002 and 2003; when I also attended a Poulenc course at 'Jackdaws', Somerset; and at Oradea, Romania (using a fine restored Viennese piano from about 1890) where a musician's flat is located close to the centre of the historic town, just over the border from Hungary, where I served as a teacher, 2016-2017. Have composed over 100 songs, some choral works; and am particularly interested in works for piano, voice and instruments, of which I have written a few. I am happy that my Orff Competition entry has its roots in London the age of Dussek, or thereabouts.