John Williamson

John Ramsden Williamson, born in Manchester in 1929, was a student of Composition and Piano at the Royal Manchester College of Music in the early 1950s, contemporary with the so-called Manchester group of composers. Following the attainment of the ARMCM Diploma in Piano Teaching, he embarked upon a career of music teaching in a variety of schools and colleges throughout England and Wales.

The compulsion to compose prevailed from teenage years and finally found a significant individual voice mostly after retirement from principal teaching duties in the mid-1970s. The majority of his successful work is related to the keyboard, and this is evident in his substantial output of songs, solo piano pieces and chamber music with piano. However, his output also includes several piano concerti, a cello concerto and a variety of orchestral works, mostly unheard as yet. Works for piano, songs and cello have been extensively recorded on the Dunelm Label and have been performed over the past thirty years in venues from North Wales and Northwest England and his piano music has been promoted by Murray McLachlan of Chetham’s School, Manchester; his songs by Mark Rowlinson and David Jones, of the RNCM. The publishers Animus (organ works), Curiad (recorder music), Da Capo (songs), Piper (woodwind works) and Recital Music (bass and piano), have taken works into their catalogues.

He is currently a member of NWCA, PRS, Composers of Wales, BMS, and the Housman Society, the latter being of special importance to his output of songs. John has evolved a characteristic style which is defined by Palindromic Structures with modal lines based on key centres.

Sonatina (2006) was premièred during the 2007 AFNOM festival in London.