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James Gilchrist and Nathan’s recent recital at the English Music Festival 2026 received a very warm review from James Banyard at the PRSD. The wide-ranging programme of English song included work by Carwithen, Holst, Warlock, Busch, and Pitfield (whose songs James and Nathan recently recorded), as well as more recent songs by Gordon Crosse and Jeremy Thurlow. Nathan also performed Warlock’s beautiful and much neglected Folksong Preludes for solo piano.

Throughout the spring semester Piano Circus have been working closely with composition students at Brunel University on developing new works for multiple keyboards. The project culminated in Piano Circus premiering four new works in a joyful and inspiring showcase concert in the university’s summer festival, bringing to conclusion another successful year as the university’s artists-in-residence. They will be back at Brunel after the summer break for further composition and performance projects.

Nathan has several further Once Upon A Tune concerts in the coming weeks with artist James Mayhew and violinist Caroline Speca. Events include the Norfolk Music Hub SEND Festival, Southwold Arts Festival, and the Barnes Literature Festival.

Nathan’s Hornpipe for violin and piano will also feature on these programmes – based on a poem by Robert Jellicoe about a ghostly dance in the sunken cathedrals of Dunwich, it partners beautifully with Debussy’s La Cathedrale Engloutie, also on the programme. 

Nathan and James Gilchrist met up in March to rehearse The Cool Web by Gordon Crosse, a playful, childlike but deeply unsettling song-cycle setting poetry by Stevie Smith and Robert Graves. Premiered by Sir Peter Pears at the Aldeburgh Festival in 1976, we are not aware of many (or even any) performances since. Thanks to a new edition prepared by the Crosse Trust, hopefully this situation will soon be reversed – starting with James and Nathan at the English Music Festival in May this year, at Dartington. 

Nathan was invited to join the Lied Can Fly podcast to discuss his own songs-cycle The Little That Was Once a Man with host Sabine Berger and tenor James Gilchrist, who premiered the work and recorded it with Nathan for SOMM Recordings. The podcast discusses the extreme emotional range of the songs, setting Bryan Heiser’s poetry, moving from hifalutin claptrap to infantile humour to explicit sexual violence, and how the music depicts this through Handel-esque vocal virtuosity, a range of pianistic fireworks and a swaggering rhythmic drive. Click here to listen to the episode and explore other episodes of Sabine’s wonderful podcast, celebrating contemporary art-song.

There can be few more inspiring scenes than the far northwest of Scotland – and Nathan escaped there for a composing retreat in mid-January. Only problem was that by Ullapool there was about 2 foot of snow, so no choice but to hunker down in situ and enjoy the company of the locals, and the local beers and single malts… Nathan was experimenting with new piano music for projects to be announced later this year – watch this space… 

The Southwold New Year’s Day concert was another sellout for 2026, marking a wonderful start to the year for both the Trust and all our Southwold audience members.

One New Year’s Day 2026 we enjoyed a wonderful performance by the Suffolk-based amateur choir Concordia under their inspirational director John Witchell.

Concordia performed music of an enormous range of styles, genres and moods, from choral classics by Bruckner and Harris, contemporary classical music by Jonathan Dove and Ola Gjeilo, and music in more popular styles such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Beatles.

Southwold-based pianist Nathan Williamson accompanied the choir, also performing one of his own solo piano compositions, a beautiful and atmospheric work entitled Flowers of the Field.

Thank you to everyone for their support, and a very Happy New Year to everyone!

PS – a special thank you to Concordia member Judie for allowing us use of this beautiful photo which she took on leaving the concert!

On Sunday 7th December, Nathan conducts a cast of 30 young singers in Jubilee Opera’s production of Hip Hip Horatio! in Aldeburgh.

The show is a wonderfully witty, funny and infinitely catchy musical romp telling the story of Horatio Nelson, with words by Michael Blom and music composed by Michael Hurd.

There are two shows, at 3pm and 5pm, at Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall. Each show lasts about 35 minutes. Tickets can be found here.

Although originally billed as an oratorio rather than opera, Hip Hip Horatio! has been wonderfully adapted for stage by director Katie Kim Hackman, with the tireless support of costume makers, prop inventors and backstage crew from Jubilee Opera. The music covers a wide range of genres, with chorus numbers, narrators and (in this interpretation) various cameo solo parts and small groups.

A superb ensemble of professional players will be in the pit, performing Jubilee Opera’s own commissioned instrumental arrangement of the piece by Timothy Henty.

Jubilee Opera brings opera to life for children of all ages and abilities. They believe there is a place for everyone in operatic adventures, and that the stage is a place where everyone is free to express themselves and free to dream. This season they are working with around 30 young singers, ranging in age from 6 to 17. For some this is their first production, while others have been in the company all the way through their school years. Visit their website here to learn more about their valuable work. You can find contact details if you or a young person you know wants to get involved.

And come and enjoy the fabulous production, be throughly entertained, and support these wonderful young performers!

The 2026 Southwold New Year’s Day Concert has been announced and tickets are now on sale! This year Southwold welcomes the superb Suffolk-based choir Concordia, led by their director John Witchell and accompanied by Nathan Williamson.

Concordia gave their debut in 2010, since when they have developed a strong and enthusiastic following at venues across Suffolk and further afield. A mixture of both keen amateurs and professionals, they perform a wide range of familiar choral classics, church music, and music in more contemporary styles.

Their concert in Southwold will include music about the changing of the year, seasonal classics, light music, contemporary music, featuring composers as diverse as Brahms, Morley, Rutter, and the Beatles! Nathan Williamson will also provide some magical musical interludes on the piano.

Nathan Williamson writes, ‘I heard Concordia perform for the first time last spring, and was deeply impressed by their technical skill and musical flair – as well as their novel and ambitious choices of repertoire. I had no hesitation in inviting them to perform for the New Year’s Day Concert, and am sure they will delight the audience in Southwold and give us all the perfect start to the New Year.’

The concert will last approximately one hour. Younger audience members are welcome, with tickets for 16s and under completely free. Seats are reserved and demand is expected to be very high, so prompt booking is advised.

All proceeds from the concert will go to the Southwold Music Trust – for more information please visit www.southwoldmusictrust.co.uk or on Facebook @southwoldmusictrust.

Nathan’s opera for young people, The Quest, commisioned by London Youth Opera and to a libretto by Megg Nicol, has been nominated for Best Community and Participation Composition at the 2025 Ivor Classical Awards.

Presented by The Ivors Academy, The Ivors Classical Awards celebrate creative excellence in British and Irish composing. Judged by composers for composers, the awards recognise excellence in craft and creativity.

This year, 34 composers and librettists have been nominated for an Ivor Novello Award, representing an inspiring range of voices and styles that reflect the richness of contemporary classical music.

Hosted by Tom McKinney and Kate Molleson, the ceremony is supported by PRS for Music and in association with BBC Radio 3. The event will bring together leading composers, music industry figures and cultural sector guests to celebrate outstanding contemporary classical music.

Follow @IvorsAcademy on social media from 8pm on 11 November to find out who’s won and listen to ceremony highlights on BBC Radio 3’s New Music Show from 10.30pm on Saturday 15 November and BBC Sounds.