Artist:
David Fanshawe
Born:
1942
1942
Representative Albums:
Music of the Nile: The Original African Sanctus J, Spirit of African Sanctus, African Sanctus
- Genre: World
- Active: '60s - '90s
- Instrument: Engineer, Producer, Piano
Biography
The symphonic works of British composer David Fanshawe have been infused by a global range of ethnic and traditional influences. Fanshawe's ethnomusicological visits to Africa, Arabia, Alaska and the Pacific Islands have provided a foundation for Fanshawe's compositions.Fanshawe's most successful piece, "African Sanctus," was the subject of an award-winning BBC documentary. A thirteen movement composition, it blended elements of the Latin Mass and Anglican Liturgy with traditional African music based on recordings that Fanshawe collected while traveling down the Nile River in the early-1970s.
A native of Dover, England, Fanshawe studied at St. George's Choir School and,with a full scholarship, the Royal Conservatory of Music. Fanshawe's travels have yielded more than two thousand tapes, one thousand boxes of slides and forty volumes of his handwritten journals. His compositions include "Fantasy On Dover Castle," "Requiem For The Children Of Aberfan," "The Awakening" and "Romanza Burlesque." ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
