A Musical Composition

Published by Warwick School on Monday 21st of November 2016

Sam Young joined Warwick School aged eleven and was already a very talented musician. In his time at Warwick School we are proud to have seen him progress as a student, performer and composer. Sam achieved a distinction in his LRSM piano diploma aged sixteen, a qualification usually awarded after three years at university. He also studies composition at the Royal Academy of Music on Saturdays. A truly outstanding musician, Sam (who is now seventeen) has composed the piece Lux Noxque for soprano voice, choir, soprano saxophone, two celli and piano. Lux Noxque is a musical representation of texture, using the theme of light and dark, explored both aurally and visually. 'I was approached by Liz Green (Head of Academic Music at Warwick School) about entering the school, for the first time, into the annual Music for Youth festival. The sole criteria for an entry is that the piece must educate the average audience about at least one element of music. We decided from the outset that the piece should be more of an audio-visual spectacle, combining elements that aptly reflect the name, Lux Noxque. ‘The piece explores the various timbres and characters that can be created by a small group of instrumentalists and vocalists, journeying through differing levels of light and shade. I have immensely enjoyed writing this slightly unorthodox piece – it entailed many frustrating but wonderful firsts for me as a writer and I hope it has the same effect on you.' Sam Young Sam is surely destined to realise his ambition of becoming ‘one of the most versatile musicians of [his] generation, with a particular focus on scoring for film.’ Watch this space! In the meantime, we are delighted to share Sam’s composition with you, performed by Warwick School choristers and instrumentalists https://vimeo.com/warwickschool/music.