Composer and conductor
Recordings
On this page you can listen to a range of original works and arrangements - click on a link for more information and purchases.
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To hear David's recordings, click on an icon.
In Memoriam PM
Composed in honour of those who died and those who were bereaved during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
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Sandra Fitzgerald, Callail Rowley (violins), Christ Church Camerata
The Innocents
A work that touches on the tragic issue of abuse - dedicated to victims and survivors of clerical abuse. Sheet music available for violin and piano or violin and string orchestra.
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Susan Collins (violin), electronic backing
The Innocents
(plus 'In Paradisum' - Fauré)
A work that touches on the tragic issue of abuse - dedicated to victims and survivors of clerical abuse. Sheet music available for violin and piano or violin and string orchestra. In this performance the piece was interspersed between two movements of Fauré's Requiem, with segue to the first chord of the 'In Paradisum'.
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Peta Dries (violin), Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Newcastle Festival Chamber Choir, Christ Church Camerata, David Banney (conductor)
Little Suite
In the style of the great Romany violin tradition, this work takes the form of a Czardas, for violin and strings (or piano), with a soulful first movement followed by an energetic finale.
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Susan Collins (violin), Christ Church Camerata, Géza Szilvay (conductor)
Whale Song
Composed for a concert on Australia Day, performed from a barge on Newcastle harbour, this work portrays the power, beauty and mystery of great whales, and features the didgeridoo with string orchestra.
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Score and parts available soon
Perry Fuller (didgeridoo), Christ Church Camerata, David Banney (conductor)
Lady With a Red Hat
Composed for a concert at Newcastle Art Gallery, Lady With a Red Hat depicts an imaginary painting. Initially for two violins and piano, it was later orchestrated.
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More information - chamber version
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More information - string orchestra version (this recording)
James Ferguson and Sandra Fitzgerald (violins), Gavin Clark (cello), Christ Church Camerata, David Banney (conductor)
Triste
Triste began life as a series of short fragments to be played between readings from Julia Baird's Phosphorescence at the 2022 Newcastle Writers Festival. The completed work is available in two versions - the original, for cello and piano, and a version for sextet (clarinet, string quartet and piano), premiered by Mitchell Berick with the Christ Church Camerata String Quartet in the 2023 Newcastle Music Festival.
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More information - cello and piano version
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Christ Church Camerata soloists
Agnus Dei from
Mass For One
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic singing was banned in public places. The first relaxation of this rule was to permit a single singer, distanced from other performers as well as the listeners. The Mass For One was composed for this purpose, and premiered at Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, on the first day that singing was permitted in worship.
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Jane Phillips (soprano)
Peter Guy (organ)
Nowhere Else To Go
Nowhere Else To Go was composed in 2022 in response to a commission from Elizabeth Seysener on the occasion of her 70th birthday. She specifically requested that the work evoked the story of her family's emigration from Europe to Australia.
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Anthea Scott-Mitchell (cello)
Erin Sweetman (piano)
Prelude, Lament and Dance
Composed for cellists Gavin Clark and Anthea Scott-Mitchell, this work was composed early in 2023, when the world was watching the horrors of the war in Ukraine. The Dance is based on Eastern European scales, and the Lament on Arabic scales - a premonition, perhaps of the war that was to come in Gaza.
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Gavin Clark and Anthea Scott-Mitchell (cellos), Christ Church Camerata, David Banney (conductor)
Tenebrae
Tenebrae is the seventh of Ten Meditations for Lent and Easter, and captures the mood of one of the most beautiful liturgies in the Christian calendar. Tenebrae means shadows, represented by the quasi-improvisatory arpeggio figures.
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Peter Guy, piano
Meditation
Composed for Anthea Scott-Mitchell's CD 'Into the Silence', Meditation has the compositional strategy of never allowing the music to 'come home' harmonically.
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Anthea Scott-Mitchell (cello)
Erin Sweetman (piano)
Violin Concertino No. 2
This single-movement concertino was composed to channel the energy of a very enthusiastic young violinist. It has become a favourite for concerts, competitions, exams and auditions.
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David Banney (violin), Peter Guy (piano)
Sonatina Pentatonica
A three-movement sonatina based on the pentatonic scale, this piece offers a first taste of the world of sonatas for young violinists.
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David Banney (violin), Peter Guy (piano)
Sonata Romanesca
Searching for Italian Baroque music for young violinists (ie, my students) I found the name Nicola Canzano on IMSLP. I then discovered that this 'Baroque' composer is a performer and lecturer in New York, where he composes using the principles of partimento - the technique by which composers of the 17th and 18th centuries were taught harmony, improvisation and composition. This lead me to explore partimento, and produce a number of works based on these principles.
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David Banney (violin), Peter Guy (piano)
Sonatina
(The Pirates)
Composed for young students, this work was nicknamed 'The Pirate' Sonatina by its first performers.
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David Banney (violin), Peter Guy (piano)
St Nicholas Mass
This Mass was composed to give a children's choir (the St Nicholas Choir) to perform with the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, with the option of having the congregation join in certain passages, still creating a grand effect with organ and rich harmonies. This recording includes the Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei.
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Musicians of
Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
Nunc for Marie
For several years I had the joy of conducting an annual choral workshop with the outstanding young choir from St Columbia's Anglican College, Port Macquarie. This Nunc dimittis was composed to offer a work that could be learned quickly, introducing some simple modal writing, with a grand organ part to give the young musicians an inspiring experience at Christ Church Cathedral. The Nunc is named for the choir's conductor, Marie van Gend.
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Choir of Christ Church Cathedral
David Drury (organ)
David Banney (conductor)
Blues for Zac
A short, perky jazz piece as part of a series of works to introduce jazz to young violinists.
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Sheet music available soon
Jazz combo
Arioso
A short work using partimento techniques in the style of JS Bach, ideal for concert or liturgy.
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Solo piano
Communion Service in G
This Service was composed to add to the repertoire for Anglican liturgy, specifically with an organ part that was rich but achievable. The setting includes Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei.
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Choir of Christ Church Cathedral
Gerard Nicholls (organ)
David Banney (conductor)
Concerto à la Handel
This concerto is part of an ongoing series of works aimed to build the repertoire for young viola players. 'Double Concertos' are few and far between for viola players, and this work adds to the very short list, along with the slightly easier Concerto à la Telemann.
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Paul Groh, David Banney (violas)
Christ Church Camerata
El Pano Moruno (from Siete canciones populares españolas)
An arrangement of de Falla's brilliant set of Spanish folksongs, expanding the piano accompaniment to string orchestra. This recording is the first song in suite.
Christ Church Camerata
Christ Church Canticles
A setting of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis for the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle.
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Choir of Christ Church Cathedral