Keith Morris - his work
As is reflected in many of the tributes to and recollections of Keith, he was a most modest and self-effacing man and not given to 'blowing his own trumpet'. But we would like to blow it for him......
We hope that he would be pleased and not too embarrassed
As Shelly Moore (ex Kent Moped member) said
Please let us know if there is anything more that you can add - or if you can correct anything that isn't accurate
This is what Keith said about himself……
Keith Morris AKA Kent Moped
(Posters and programmes for a Red Music tour in Bulgaria were in the Cyrillic alphabet and Keith's name in Cyrillic looked exactly like "Kent Moped".)
"....is who or what, exactly? - a more-or-less unknown composer based in Newcastle, England, writing music for all sorts of reasons, including theatre, literature, art and other kinds of events in the region. Used to be called a 'jazz composer", one of those less-than-worth-serious-consideration epithets. Writes also for youth and school circumstances, choirs, bands and ensembles. Also writes songs. Regards himself as actually quite good at setting words. Doesn't write music in any ground-breaking 'contemporary' idiom, is over 50 and therefore easily ignored."
Dukes Theatre Lancaster
When Keith died he was working on the music for
Tom Thumb and other Giant Stories
for the Dukes Theatre Lancaster.
He had worked with the Dukes Theatre on summer and Christmas productions for several years.
This is from a Guardian review of their production of Fandango in 2002
“The outstanding feature, however, is Keith Morris's omnipresent music, full of spicy, zarzuela flavours that inject real Spanish heat into the proceedings."
Cargo Project
Keith was also working with Helix Arts on Cargo, a European artist residency programme in the UK, Latvia and Sweden. The artists work with their respective communities to create pieces of art in a wide range of media, including film, poetry, photography, and music.
Keith was awarded the Composition Commission for Cargo in March 2004 and has begun research, including visits to each of the residencies. It is envisaged the piece will be inspired by the varied musical and cultural traditions, as well as the expressed socio-economic realities and aspirations of the participating communities.
Esther Salamon, former Co-Director of Helix Arts and initiator of the project said,
“The intention is that Cargo will provide both artists and the communities with the opportunity to identify, express and celebrate understandings of their individual and shared economic and social histories within the context of profound change – decline in traditional industries; increasing globalisation; the rapid development of sophisticated technologies and financial systems; geographical changes to national/international borders, political systems and cultural identities. Cargo aims to use creativity, art and culture to gain an understanding of these monumental changes. By exploring past traditions and future possibilities in imaginative and inventive ways, the project will provide insights into a metamorphosed Europe.”
Sean O'Brien writes here about his work with Keith on Downriver
Jazz
Action
Keith led a 'Jazz band for a Day' workshop for
Jazz Action working on an intensive daylong session with tutors
Lewis Watson, Keith Norris, Mick Shoulder, John Wilson, Adrian Tilbrook and 'Smudge'
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Keith worked with many other musicians in the occasional Big People gigs.
As Graeme Rigby writes here, Big People was essentially a principle.
Big People
Bergen - Kulturhuset Residencies
In recent years Keith spent two periods as Composer in Residence at Kulturhuset USF in Bergen, NORWAY. He collaborated with Norwegian musicians, and brought the ‘Bergen Connection’ to Schmazz at the Cluny on two occasions.
Book of the North
A pioneering collaboration between visual artists, prose writers and poets based in the north east of England, Book of the North published in 2002 contains text, music and film, all especially composed for the CD-ROM format.
ISBN: 0-9541456-0-7
Price: £10 plus £2 post and packaging
Book of the North features work by:
Chaz Brenchley, Andrew Crumey, Julia Darling, Linda France, WN Herbert, Keith Morris, Sean O’Brien, Bridget O’Connor, Katrina Porteous, Mark Robinson, Alan Smith and Margaret Wilkinson.
Four Seasons in Woodland
Keith worked with poet Bill Herbert on this extended musical piece for choir, brass band, street band, octet, and two singers. The piece was premiered at the Caedmon Hall, Gateshead in December 1996; other performances include the 1997 Durham Literary Festival.
Keiths commentary on the music is here
Text by Bill Herbert is here
Plain Truth
was the forerunner to Kent Moped, and had a very similiar line up
Kent Moped
Shelly Moore wrote about her experience of working with Keith in Kent Moped in her tribute
Band Members
Keith Morris Piano, Soprano/Baritone saxes COMPOSER
Chris Dee Tenor/soprano Saxes, Flute
Cath Lane Bass Clarinet
Shelly Moore Alto sax, whistle
Yvonne Pinkney (known as Stella) Baritone/alto saxes
Richard Scott Vocal, Flute, Tenor sax
Don Forbes Trumpet, Flugal
Mrinal Kundu Trumpet
Andy Lawrenson Violin
Eddie Nickson Guitar
Keiran Cheung Bass
Jonathan Thorpe Drums
KiKu
Keith was also fleetingly in a "rock" band fronted by Yvonne Kingswell (who was also an original member of "We don't Want the Peanuts We Want the Plantation" Dance Band, with Joe Scurfield)
Keith conducts The Call of Paradise at Symphony Hall Birmingham 2002
Grand Union Orchestra
Keith was a member of Grand Union Orchestra since 1984
Grand Union Website
More about GrandUnion Orchestra
More pictures of Keith with GUO
Bakelite Band
Keith Morris musical direction arrangements saxophones
Gev Pringle percussion
Ieuan Goch ab Einion keyboard cello guitar
Patrick Mulholland trombone
Sue Gittins vocals
The Stumbling Band
with Ellen Phethean, Gev Pringle, Judy Seymour, Joe Scurfield and Adam Taylor
The Hotpoints 1978ish - 1980
John Cooper guitar and backing vocals
Tessa Green guitar and lead vocals
Keith Morris alto sax
Gev Pringle drums
Sid Smith bass guitar
Peter Thomson tenor sax
Jane Wade vocals
Pylon
Keith Morris bass
Juan Surfboard guitar and voice
Archie Brown sax
?? on drums
Has anyone got any photographs of these bands?Shaking Hands 1980
Keith Morris saxes
Gev Pringle drums
Sid Smith bass guitar
Ipso Facto... (1977 ish?)Nigel Bainbridge drums
Stan Gamester percussion
Bill Madge tenor sax
Keith Morris keyboards & soprano sax
Sid Smith bass guitar.
Phil Summers guitar
the first band Keith played sax in concert with?
more to come.......
Including
Blue Carpet
Who Cares Wins!
Tyneside Community Music Project
Residencies
Teaching
with Joe Scurfield Peter Thompson and Adam Taylor
Cheap at the Price (The Cheaps) 1976 - 1979
Keith playing bass with Cheap at the Price with Archie Brown playing sax, Wallsend Arts Centre, Charlotte Street, 1977
Tim Archer guitar and keyboards
Stan Gamester drums.
Sue Gittins vocals
Keith Morris saxophones, keyboard, backing vocals
The More or Less Quartet and Sextet 1980
Allan Collins double bass
Steve Cowgill piano
Keith Morris soprano & tenor
Gev Pringle drums
Brian Taylor(?) alto sax
Sid Smith bass guitar
Red Umbrella and Red Music
(Notes from Ieuan Goch ab Einion - see also his tribute )
Keith was part of the Red Umbrella radical performers collective in the 1980s and played with Red Music a political dance band that evolved from Red Umbrella.
Red Music lasted for over 10 years and many great musicians played in the band. I will probably do many people an injustice by excluding them but for most of us this band was a seminal experience in both politics and music.
Keith Morris
Joe Scurfield
John Sylvester
Caroline Robinson
Judy Seymour
Richard Scott
Gev Pringle
Sue Hurrell
Fiona MacPherson
Katherine Zeserson
Steve Cowgill
Jane Barnett
Ieuan Goch ab Einion
Garry Clennell
Garry Linsley
Rod Sinclair
Josefina Cupido
Lilly
Miles
Scores of some of Keith's music
There are eleven scores here which Keith had put up on his own embryonic web-site
(bizarrely, the pages are still available - please let us know if they disappear)
The scores can be viewed and heard using SCORCH plug-in. It's free, to download go to...
As Keith said
'The scores also play back, but do bear in mind that score playback isn't music at all. You have to imagine what it turns into when humans perform it live using acoustic instruments and real voices. The pieces are in no order of importance, chronology or merit, just the order in which they were 'scorched'.
Eye to Eye (short conversations number one) for two marimbas 2003/4. Short not very serious
Two Short Dances for 2 (plectrum) guitars. 2003. Perhaps the title should be "Too Short..
"300 years" for SATB choir and optional piano. 1997 written for the 300th anniversary of Shaftoe Trust (Primary) School,Haydon Bridge, Northumberland"Keepers of the Flame - Overture" for 10 strings written for Sean O'Brien's play, 2003
"Keepers of the Flame - A High Place" (as above)
"The Stavros Factor" 1999. For oddly constituted big(-ish) band, so because that's what the students played for whom it was written."Parallel Lines" (as above)
"Name me a river" lyrics by Sean O'brien"Song of the counter revolutionary horse" lyrics w.n. herbert"Funeral Games" 2004 Lyric by David Bradford
"Five Rounds from Canterbury Tales" from Dukes Theatre Lancaster production2004. Any number of voices, not hard to sing.
