HANDSTOGETHER
~The Music of Daniel Bath~
contact home stage and screen harpsichord choirs reviews news biography
Biography
Daniel began his musical performing career as a child in The Boogeez (a wonderful keyboard-based rock'n'roll duo with Matt Steele of Jersey Street) and the more sensibly entitled Manchester Boys’ Choir. Then his voice broke, at which point he picked up jazz piano and, at the age of 16, started doing solo and small group gigs in South Manchester pubs.
He studied music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he sang in several groups specialising in Gregorian chant and Byzantine chant as well as fiddling for the brilliant folk band Batter the Haddock. He studied classical piano with Philip Mead, specialising in the music of Charles Ives. His dissertation was on Kurdish Popular Music and its role in the nationalist struggles of that fine people.
He performs as a jazz and classical pianist, harpsichordist, teacher and conductor. He is also musical director of The Voice Crew (choir of Ravenscliffe Special Secondary School, Halifax), Parkinson Lane Singers and Actor’s Workshop Youth Theatre. He sings tenor in Salford Cathedral Choir and occasionally conducts them.
As a composer, Daniel’s works include the song cycle, Only My Words Can Dance, one-act opera The Forest (commissioned for the 2003 Hebden Bridge Arts Festival), song-cycles Drawing on Water and Drawing in Air (both commissioned by H.E.A.D.S. community arts), cantatas for children’s choir The Lady of Shalott, Spider Anansi and Quetzalcoatl, children’s opera Out of the Heart of the Star (commissioned in 2005 by Calderdale Music Service and revived in October 2008 for the Ted Hughes literary festival), soundtrack for Erik Knudsen’s feature film Sea of Madness, as well as many shorter choral works and liturgical music. Some of his church music is published by Decani Music and the Society of St. Gregory.
Daniel is currently studying Indian classical singing with sitar virtuoso, Prof. Dharambir Singh and is teaching Indian music and Islamic song at Parkinson Lane School, Halifax.
He has a particular liking for most things sub-continental (especially music, food, language and religion).
He lives in Todmorden with his wife, Ali, and four lovely children.
contact home stage and screen harpsichord choirs reviews news biography