Composition

I’m currently developing the following pieces/projects:

– piece for chamber orchestra and improvisor – premiere 23.9.2022. with the LCO, St John’s Smith Square, London

class-work – premiere at Leipziger Jazztage 25.10.2022.

TEXTS with Stephanie Lamprea, Nick Dunston, Michaël Attias, Liz Kosack, Anna Webber – Digital/book release in 2023

– Duos for voice with gamba, bass and percussion (Cansu Tanrıkulu, Stephanie Lamprea, Liam Byrne, Evi Filippou) – release 2023

I work both with and without scores in all forms as well as aurally and collaboratively with composer-performers, using post-composition/production of improvisational processes to create acoustic and electroacoustic works for soloists and ensembles.

There is more work available on the videos page. Full scores for performance are available to download for free below – I would appreciate programme credits if you choose to use them for performance. If you’d like a copy of something that’s missing, individual parts or paper/PDF versions for performance, please contact me

alien space sound propellant

viola, double bass, electric bass, drums, electronics/samples, voices, toddlers (movement/voices)

commissioned by Northern Composers Collective / Arts Council England

Things my parents said about childhood

solo double bass (improvised work based on stories from my parents and the Black Country accent)

Commissioned for ION Shorts at Ideas of Noise Festival 2020 – Premiere 30.01.2020 at The Woodman, Birmingham

full info and programme notes

An August Midnight

harp/mezzo-soprano soloist or harp/mezzo-soprano duo

ca. 8 minutes

developed as part of The Arc Project’s for Songs On Thomas Hardy – Premiere 2022

Full score (HQ – 157,6 mb)

The Whitewashed Wall

miniature in 3 movements for solo soprano

1 minute 40 seconds

Premiere 22.10.2020 at Roulette, Brooklyn

developed as part of Stephanie Lamprea‘s Unaccompanied: Tiny Works for Quarantine Volume I

“By dividing The Whitewashed Wall into three distinct movements, James Banner gives the singer multiple opportunities to show off elements of her virtuosity. “Why does she turn…?” offers leaping contours and a climactic high note, while “Well, once…” imposes a strict, swift tempo onto the melody. “My brush goes one with a rush…”, frenetic and clearly meant to push the singer to the very upper limit of her range, comes off as a controlled detonation.” [Nicholas Stevens, ClevelandClassical, 21.5.2020]

”Despite of everything else, Quarantine has brought the best out of many creatives…Vocalist Stephanie Lamprea asked a number of composers to write her short pieces while stuck at home. The resulting album is a gem, but English composer James Banner brings a playful setting of three Thomas Hardy poems. These tunes are light, manic, virtuosic, and full of twists and turns. A delight from within this delightles time.” [John Paul Mayse, Composer, 23.4.2020]

Played on WFMU 27.4.2020

Profile in The Boston Musical Intellingencer

Full Score

The Physics of Rebirth

solo soprano

2 minutes 30 seconds

developed as part of Stephanie Lamprea‘s Unaccompanied: Tiny Works for Quarantine – Premiere 11.6.2020 [online]

words by Rebecca Connors

VIDEO https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.lamprea/videos/10216010095995518/

Full Score

Piece for Solo Instrument

solo Bb clarinet

1 minute 30 seconds

developed for Vanguard Manchester – Premiere 2022

Scores for other instruments below – request one

Full Score – Clarinet in B flat // Performance Notes, Clarinet in B Flat

Full score – Trumpet in b flat

Full Score – Viola

Pizz Study 1 for Solo Viola

Le Poulailler

Miniature for Toy Piano

1 minute 5 seconds

Composed for George Xiaoyuan Fu – Premiered (on Piano) by Rolf Hind

Full Score

Two Movements for Three Guitars

Three guitars

7 minutes 20 seconds

developed for Dominic Matthews as part of The Arc Project for Digital Edition – Premiere online, 22.10.2020

Full score (concert pitch)

Full Score (transposed)

Trio for Viola, Bassoon and Percussion

viola, bassoon, percussion (snare, bass drum, vibraphone)

ca. 8 minutes

developed for Vanguard Manchester

unperformed

Duo for Contrabass Flute and Bass Clarinet

contrabass flute and bass clarinet [flexible/open scoring available for performances by other instruments]

ca. 7 minutes

unperformed

(premiere as Duo for Bass Flute and Bass Clarinet upcoming in 2022 by Chimera Ensemble)

Full score

Verre

double bass, double bass/cello, viola, violin, objects/glasses + optional electronics)

6 minutes 7 seconds

Full score

Exposure

SATB divisi + narrator

4 minutes

Full score

Concertino For Concert Band

concert band

18 minutes

composed as part of Adopt a Composer 2018-2019 – premiere 06.10.2019 at Salts Mill, Saltaire, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 09.01.2020

Full score

Journey On A Cloud

chamber ensemble + mixed children’s choir

6 minutes

Collaborative composition commissioned by Make The Paint Dance, for a project with a primary school in Cardiff

Full score

#BirdsongMashup

mixed electronic media + double bass

4 minutes 50 seconds

Collaborative community composition commissioned by Make The Paint Dance – premiere 31.5.2020

”It’s just a brilliant idea, I love it!” Nick Ahad – BBC Radio Leeds [31.5.2020]

Declan Forde, James Banner, Fabiana Striffler – Spiegelsaal Berlin (Photo Dovile Sermokas)
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