Gordon Lawson

Biography

GORDON BALFOUR GRANT LAWSON was born in Lenzie near to Glasgow on December 22nd 1931, the only son of Ethel and Alan Grant Lawson. He was surrounded by music from an early age as his father’s guardian, a pianist, lived with the family. Gordon is proud to be the owner of a Bechstein piano which was the property of this old gentleman and dates back to 1906.

In 1942, the family moved to the N.Wales coast where Gordon attended Rydal school and where his musical endeavours were much encouraged. In 1950 he was awaded a sizarship (minor scholarship) in music at St.John’s College Cambridge where he read music for four years graduating with his MA, and MusB, a year later, in which he gained a ‘starred first’ in composition.

National Service was obligatory, followed by 21 years of teaching in three English public schools where composing was a rarity except for specific occasions. It was’t until early retirement that composition became an almost daily pursuit. Since those days, almost 200 compositions have flowed from pen to paper in his Orbeta naya overlooking his garden, the hills above Orba and Tormos and the Val de Laguar. If his style is colourful and individualistic, it is not only due to his deep love of  Spanish culture, nature and the vivid colours of the landscape in the province, but also his enduring appreciation of twentieth century English music by masters like Vaughan Williams, Walton, John Ireland, Herbert Howells, Finzi and Britten.

Gordon’s compositions are immensely varied and include almost every ‘genre’ except opera. The majority of his works are for organ and sacred choral, with many anthems, carols and settings of the liturgy including Masses and Canticles. His two most ambitious choral works are his setting of the Stabat Mater for chorus, three soloists and organ, and his Requiem, perfomed at his last concert with the Montgo Choral, which he formed in 2007.

He has also written many songs, sonatas for Violin, Flute and ‘Cello, a Suite for Recorders, pieces for Piano and Wind instruments, seven concertos for Trumpet, Organ, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and a Concertino for Piano and Strings. His most recent work, written in 2023, is his Piano Concerto dedicated to Claudio Carbo and written for full orchestral accompaniment, whereas the accompaniment for the other concerti is for string orchestra. Chamber music also appears in the guise of a string quartet, a Trio for Piano for string and in 2022, a Trio for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon. Quite a considerable amount of works for string orchestra and among the list of Gordon’s works including a Divertimento, a  serenade, a Sinfonietta (still to be performed) and an early work Lament for Lockerbie, written in response to the air disaster in Scotland some thirty years ago. In 2022, Gordon wrote and had published Marches for a Monarch in honour of the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Gordon’s writing for the piano really only became an integral part of his output within the past decade, and, in particular, more recently than that due to his delightful association with the pianist Claudio Carbo and family. His Piano Sonata, written about ten years ago has been performed by Dr. Carbo in Denia, but before this event, Claudio performed the Five Preludes (dedicated to him) which were the first of several works written following frequent visits to discuss and play music with Claudio. Three other piano works are also worth mentioning; Recuerdos de Orba was written for a friend who was anxious to have a memory of her visit to my home, and is what I would refer to as Spanish Pastiche; a group of seven short pieces entitled Youthful Pastimes and Pleasures – not simple pianism for the very young, but as a 21st century answer to Schumann’s Scenes of Childhood, and quite recently, Suite Francaise, rather ‘fin de siecle’ and fun for two pianos.

There are other works which maybe have been forgotten but I think this is sufficient evidence of a love of writing!!

 Gordon Lawson

The Piano Album (2023/4)

In preparation a full album with scores of most important piano pieces, including Sonata, Five preludes and Six bagatelles, edited by Piles Music.