Matthew has given many first performances with Tacet, including works by Martin Butler (Claudy Banks, Brighton Festival 2005), Alison Kay (ballet recording, Royal Academy of Music, 2005), John Mayer (Recorder Concerto, with Piers Adams, Adur Festival, 2003), John Alexander, and other composers associated with New Music Brighton and Adur Arts Forum. This acclaimed chamber ensemble specialises in the performance of contemporary repertoire and has performed throughout the south-east of England, including an Arts Council tour called Junctions, shared with the Copper Family and the English Acoustic Collective. Other events have included a Berio retrospective concert in 2005 and a concert of contemporary English music including works by Anthony Gilbert and Edward Hughes (Brighton Festival, 2007).
The Rainbow Chorus is a gay and lesbian mixed-voice community choir, established in 1997. Under Matthew’s direction, the choir has grown from 11 to 40 members and has performed numerous highly-praised concerts, including Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (World Aids Day, 2004), Vivaldi’s Gloria (Brighton Festival, 2002), Faure’s Requiem (World Aids Day, 2006) and Poulenc’s Gloria, (Brighton Festival 2008) all with instrumental accompaniment. In other genres the choir has been equally successful, backing Hazel O’Connor in arrangements by Matthew (Brighton Festival 2006 and Dingwalls, London, 2007), and performing excerpts from Bernstein’s West Side Story (Pride Concert, 2007). The choir also performed during Paris Pride in 2007, as guests of Podium Paris.
Hangleton Band is based on the outskirts of Brighton and maintains a busy schedule of concert and contest appearances. Since his appointment, Matthew has worked hard to improve the standard of this excellent band, while introducing innovative repertoire and new concert ventures. In May 2007 the band made its first appearance in the Brighton Festival, performing original brass band works by Vaughan Williams, Malcolm Arnold, James Curnow and Darrol Barry. The band also took part in a powerful performance of Dark Sun by Stephen Montague in the dramatic setting of Lancing College Chapel. On the contest stage highlights thus far have been runners-up positions at Crawley entertainment contest and the Regional Contest in Stevenage, which means that the Band qualified for the National Finals for the first time in 22 years.
University of Sussex Chorus (Musical Director, 2000 – 2002)
The chorus was a mixture of local residents and students, and performed Mozart’s Requiem among other smaller-scale concerts held at the University’s Meeting House.
Kaleidoscope Ensemble (Co-founder and Conductor, 1998 – 2000)
A contemporary chamber music ensemble, Kaleidoscope brought together many of the most talented young performers in the North of England, for concerts during Hebden Bridge Arts Festival (Cage, Ives, Wolters and Terry Riley) and International Women’s Day (Ptashynska, Tower, Sidwell and Bowler). The ensemble also took part in an Royal Philharmonic Society award-winning education project and concert as part of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
Other ensembles with which Matthew has made guest conducting appearances include the Scissett Youth Band, Sing Live Choir (Sussex) and University of Sussex Philharmonia.