December

1 January

New to MusicOfTheDay.co.uk? Start Here

Thomas Pitts Weekly Digest December, January

Welcome! Whether you’ve just discovered MusicOfTheDay.co.uk or you’ve been following along for a while.

The site now contains a complete year of daily composer posts – one for every day of the year. With so much to explore, this short guide will help you get started.

There’s no correct order and no pressure. Just pick a path and begin.

Start with what you already know

A familiar name is often the easiest way in.

You might begin with:

Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin
Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius
Film composers like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone
Jazz figures such as Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Bill Evans

Each post is short, accessible, and includes at least one recommended listening link.

Seasonal and themed resources

If you’re looking for something specific, the themed collections page is a great starting point.

The archive also works well for themed exploration, such as:

Film music
Women composers
Jazz and popular music
National traditions
Romantic or Baroque focus weeks

Make it part of your routine

Some people visit occasionally. Others listen daily.

You might:

Listen to one piece each day
Build a weekly playlist
Use one post each morning in class
Follow along via the weekly Substack preview

However you use it, the idea stays the same:

One composer. One piece. One moment of listening.

A full year, ready when you are

MusicOfTheDay.co.uk now offers:

366 daily composer posts
A growing collection of linked reading resources
An inclusive, curiosity-led approach to music

Start anywhere — and let the music guide you.

Thomas

31 December

A Year of Music – Thank You for Listening

Thomas Pitts Weekly Digest December

As the year comes to a close, I wanted to pause and say thank you.

MusicOfTheDay.co.uk now contains a complete daily post for every single day of the year.

That’s 366 composers, spanning centuries, styles, countries, and genres — from medieval chant to jazz, film music to folk, global traditions to classical cornerstones.

What started as a simple idea — one composer, one piece, every day — has grown into a full archive of musical discovery that’s now ready to be explored at any pace.

What’s now available

A full year of daily composer posts
Perfect for listening, teaching, assemblies, starters, or simple curiosity.
Reading comprehension resources
- September to December packs are now available directly on the site, with others coming soon.
- April to August packs are currently available on TES and TeachersPayTeachers
  These are designed to link music with literacy, cultural capital, and classroom discussion.
Seasonal resource
The 10 Christmas Music Pieces Reading Comprehension Pack is available for just £2, ideal for festive lessons or end-of-term activities: https://musicoftheday.co.uk/product/10-christmas-music-pieces-comprehension-pack-pdf/

More comprehension packs will continue to be added, gradually building a complete year of linked resources.

How to use the site

Dip in daily and discover something new
Use posts as lesson starters or listening activities
Explore unfamiliar composers alongside famous names
Browse the archive by date and follow musical threads across the year

There’s no right way to use it — just plenty to explore.

Looking ahead

The daily posts will continue, and the focus now shifts to:

Expanding and refining classroom resources
Supporting teachers with flexible, ready-to-use materials
Helping music listening become a natural part of the school day

If you’ve followed along, shared a post, used a resource, or simply listened — thank you. It genuinely means a lot.

Here’s to another year of curiosity, creativity, and music.

Explore the full archive now!

Warm wishes,
Thomas

27 December

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Thomas Pitts Weekly Digest December, January

Week of 28 December – 3 January

This Week on MusicOfTheDay.co.uk

As one year closes and another begins, this week’s composers reflect both continuity and change – modern voices alongside historical figures, and a gentle musical step from December into January.

28 December – Daniel Léo Simpson
A contemporary composer and educator whose work bridges creativity, accessibility, and musical storytelling.

29 December – Philip Sparke
One of the most influential brass band composers of modern times, whose music is played worldwide by ensembles of all levels.

30 December – Alex Baranowski
Composer for stage and screen, known for emotionally rich scores that enhance storytelling with subtle power.

31 December – Jennifer Higdon
Pulitzer Prize–winning American composer whose vibrant orchestral music closes the year with colour and confidence.

1 January – Johann Christian Bach
The “London Bach”, whose elegant Classical style influenced Mozart and helped shape a new musical era.

2 January – Barbara Pentland
A pioneering Canadian modernist whose music combined clarity, experimentation, and expressive depth.

3 January – Maurice Jaubert

French composer remembered for evocative film music and orchestral works shaped by early 20th-century change.

This week marks a musical turning point – a chance to reflect on what’s been explored and to look ahead to new discoveries still to come.

Explore the archive at MusicOfTheDay.co.uk
A full year of daily posts, ready whenever you are.

31 December

December 31st

Thomas Pitts Music, North America, United States of America December, Higdon, Viola Concerto

Jennifer Higdon Born 31 December 1962

Viola Concerto

Jennifer Higdon
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124575620

Jennifer Higdon is a famous American composer known for her contemporary classical music. She was born in 1962 in Brooklyn, New York, and spent her childhood in Atlanta and Tennessee. As a child, she enjoyed art, photography, and writing, but did not hear much classical music at home. Instead, she listened to rock and folk music. Jennifer began learning the flute and percussion in high school, teaching herself with a book. She studied flute at university, where her teacher encouraged her to try composing. Although she found music theory difficult at first, she worked hard and became a successful composer. Higdon has written many pieces for orchestras and soloists, including her famous Violin Concerto, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. She has also won three Grammy Awards for her compositions. Jennifer’s music is known for its lively rhythms and beautiful melodies, often inspired by nature and her early love of popular music. She has taught at the Curtis Institute of Music and worked with many famous musicians. Today, Jennifer Higdon is celebrated for her creativity, resilience, and for inspiring others to enjoy and appreciate classical music from different backgrounds.

30 December

December 30th

Thomas Pitts England, Europe, Music Baranowski, December, Margot

Alex Baranowski 30th December 1983

Margot

Alex Baranowski
By Marc Brenner, supplied by the composer.

Alex Baranowski is a composer from London who creates music for films, television, theatre, and ballet. He wrote the music for The Kitchen on Netflix, collaborating with Grammy-winning artist Labrinth. He also composed for The Windermere Children, a film about child survivors of the Holocaust. Among his notable works is Midas Man, a film about the Beatles’ manager.

For television, Alex has contributed music to HBO’s Rain Dogs and BBC’s Staged, featuring David Tennant.

In theatre, he was nominated for a Tony Award for The Cripple of Inishmaan and worked with director Danny Boyle on Frankenstein at the National Theatre. He has also created music for ballet, with his adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four winning a prestigious award.

His music has been featured in BBC Two idents and adverts for brands like H&M and Coca-Cola. In 2024, he created a short film for Sainsbury’s Christmas advert featuring the BFG.

29 December

December 29th

Thomas Pitts England, Europe, Music Concert Prelude, December, Flowerdale, Sparke

Philip Sparke Born 29 December 1951

Flowerdale from Hymn of the Highlands

Concert Prelude

Philip Sparke
By Wilhelm Wienemann (Kalwien at de.wikipedia) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15346674

Philip Allen Sparke was born on 29 December 1951 in London. He is renowned as an English composer and musician, particularly for his concert and brass band compositions. Sparke began his musical journey at the Royal College of Music, where he studied composition, trumpet, and piano. It was here that his passion for bands developed, leading him to form a brass band with fellow students and compose various pieces for both brass and wind ensembles.

His early significant work, “The Land of the Long White Cloud – Aotearoa,” was written in 1980 for a brass band championship in New Zealand. Over the years, he has won several prestigious awards, including the Sudler Prize for his work “Dance Movements” and the Iles Medal for his contributions to brass bands. Since 2000, Sparke has published his music through his own label, Anglo Music Press. His compositions are performed worldwide, greatly influencing the brass band community.

28 December

December 28th

Thomas Pitts Music, North America, United States of America December, Simpson, Trio for Oboe Viola & Pianoforte in Eb

Daniel Léo Simpson Born 28 December 1959

Trio for Oboe, Viola & Pianoforte in Eb

Daniel Léo Simpson
By Scoreperfect – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77727788

Daniel Léo Simpson is a well-known American composer, born in 1959. He began learning music at Buena High School in Arizona, where he studied music theory and even wrote the school’s Alma Mater. Simpson later attended the University of Arizona, where he continued his studies and earned a master’s degree in composition. A composer is someone who writes music, and Simpson has created many pieces that have been performed around the world. One of his famous works, “Tuscaloosa Tango,” won a competition and was first performed at the University of Alabama. This piece has also been played by orchestras in Iraq and Brazil. Simpson’s “Ave Maria” was first performed in Germany, showing that his music is enjoyed internationally. He has also written music for new instruments, such as the Viola Profonda, which was invented by Gerardo Yañez. In 2012, all twenty-four of Simpson’s piano inventions were performed and recorded in Berlin. Simpson’s achievements show how music can connect people from different countries and cultures. His work helps us understand the importance of composers and the impact they can have on the world of music.

27 December

December 27th

Thomas Pitts Music, North America, United States of America Beach, December, Dreaming

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach 5 September 1867 - 27 December 1944

Op. 15, No. 3: Dreaming

Amy Beach
By George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress) – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs divisionunder the digital ID cph.3b12657.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6517425

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, born on September 5, 1867, in Henniker, New Hampshire, was a pioneering American composer and pianist. Notably, she became the first successful female composer of large-scale art music in America. Her “Gaelic” Symphony premiered in 1896, marking it as the first symphony composed by a woman in the United States. Beach’s remarkable talent was evident from a young age; she began composing at four and gave public recitals by the age of sixteen. Despite societal constraints, she thrived in a male-dominated field, gaining acclaim for her compositions and performances.

Married to a surgeon in 1885, she faced limitations on her career, agreeing to perform only a few concerts a year. Nevertheless, she continued to compose significant works, including the Mass in E-flat major. Beach’s legacy as a musician and mentor remains influential, inspiring generations of women composers. She passed away on December 27, 1944, leaving behind a rich catalogue of music that celebrated the spirit of her era.

26 December

December 26th

Thomas Pitts England, Europe, Music Carol Symphony, December, Hely-Hutchinson, The Young Idea: Rhapsody for Piano & Orchestra

Victor Hely-Hutchinson 26 December 1901 – 11 March 1947

Carol Symphony

The Young Idea: Rhapsody for Piano & Orchestra

Victor Hely-Hutchinson
From https://static.files.bbci.co.uk/webarchive/asset/674dbe74f7a30dbec186aa0cb20d84153acd64f701f72137d54f60257e81904d.jpeg

Victor Hely-Hutchinson was a British composer, conductor, and pianist, born in Cape Town in 1901. He showed musical talent from a young age, composing pieces before he was ten. After moving to England, he studied piano and attended Eton College. Although he began studying history at Oxford, he soon switched to music, training at the Royal College of Music. Hely-Hutchinson worked at the BBC, where he became Director of Music, and also taught at the University of Birmingham.

His best-known work is the Carol Symphony, based on traditional English Christmas carols. He also wrote music for children, including settings of nursery rhymes.

During the Second World War, he served as an ARP warden and moved his family for safety. He died in 1947 from meningitis, after refusing to use heating to save fuel. Today, he is remembered for his contributions to British music and his popular carol arrangements.

Mather_Brown,_William_Ward_-_Monsieur_de_St_George,_1788,_NPG_D4132,_London

25 December

December 25th

Thomas Pitts Europe, France, Music Chevalier de Saint-Georges, December, I: Allegro, Symphony No. 1

Chevalier de Saint-Georges 25 December 1745 – 9 June 1799

Symphony No. 1 I: Allegro

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
By Mather Brown, William Ward – National Portrait Gallery, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122498240

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was a famous French violinist, composer, conductor – and also a champion fencer and excellent horse rider. He was born on 25 December 1745 on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. His father was a rich white plantation owner, and his mother, Nanon, was an enslaved Black woman. As a child he was taken to France, where he went to school and trained in fencing and music.

By his late teens he was one of the best fencers in Paris and became an officer in the king’s bodyguard. At the same time, he was stunning audiences as a violin soloist. He led one of the finest orchestras in Europe and wrote violin concertos, string quartets, symphonies and operas.

Because of racism, some singers blocked him from becoming director of the Paris Opera. During the French Revolution he became a soldier and led a unit of “citizens of colour”. He was later jailed during the Reign of Terror. Saint-Georges died in 1799, aged 53. Today he is often called the first famous Black classical composer.