MEET THE COMPOSER
With an ear for melody and a gift for breathing musical life into the written word, the Lincolnshire-born Patrick Hawes became a familiar voice thanks to popular hits such as Blue in Blue for choir and harp. A composer of much seasonal music, his The Nativity has been recorded by Voce Chamber Choir for Signum Classics.
I write a lot of Christmas music.
The very first tracks I wrote for Boosey & Hawkes back in 1986 were Christmas tracks and since then I must have written over 100 commercial Christmas pieces. I’ve done six different versions of Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls, and three different versions of Carol of the Bells.
When I was at school I wrote a carol called Winter is Here.It’s not on my new album, because it’s so basic, but it had words by my brother Andrew who has written many of my words since. He’s a big part of The Nativity.
The most vital formative musical element in my life was a pub pianist. My parents ran a pub and we had a big room where my Dad used to lead sing-songs, and we had a pianist. My Dad explained that the best-paid member of staff in the pub wasn’t at the bar, but at the piano! So he sent me for lessons with him, because I’d always be able to earn a quid or two. I learned to play pub songs, but also Mozart sonatas, Beethoven and Schubert.
