Compiled in part by Prof. Christine Lucia
Stage works
Incidental Music to Pirandello’s Die Riesen vom Berge. For soloists, electronics & chbr orch. First perf Munich (Kammerspiele Schauspielhaus), 1981.
White Man Sleeps (WMS2) with Siobhan [Sue] Davies. For str qt. [WMS1was used in her 2005 revival]. First perf. London (Riverside Studios), 1988.
Correspondences [Str Qt No. 4: Ramanujan Notebooks 1st movt]. Bharatha Natyam dance op with Shobana Jeyasingh. For str qt and Bar. First perf London (The Place), 1990, Smith Quartet, Llewellyn Rayappen.
Signature [Chevron] Dance with Siobhan Davies. For large chbr ens. First perf Brighton (Theatre Royal), 1990, The Mercury Ensemble cond. Roger Heaton.
The Man with Footsoles of Wind . Chbr op in 3 acts with libretto by Roger Clarke, conceived by Bruce Chatwin. For Ten, Treb, 2 Sops, Bar, fl, cl in Bb, cl in Eb, b cl, trp, 2 hn, b trb, perc (2 players), pf, cel, hp, str qt. Composed 1988-93, first perf London (Almeida Theatre), 1993, Almeida Opera, Almeida Ensemble, Brindisi Quartet, Thomas Randle, Meurig Davies, Susan Bisatt. Ded to Yvar Mikhashoff.
Wanting to Tell Stories. Dance piece with Siobhan Davies. For pf, cl, vl, db. First perf Brighton (Gardner Centre), 1993, Andrew Ball (pf), Roger Heaton (cl), Bridget Carey (vl), Alan Taylor (db). Ded. to Sue Davies.
Plane-Song [St Qt No. 5: Dancers on a Plane]. Film with Deborah May. For str qt and tape. Composed 1994, first perf BBC2, 1995.
Blue,Yellow [Str Qt No. 4 2nd movt]. Filmed dance with Sylvie Guillem, Jonathan Burrows and Adam Roberts. For str qt. First broadcast 28 Dec 1995, BBC2.
Wild Translation. Dance with Siobhan Davies. For large chbr ens. First perf Sheffield, 1995.
The Stop Quartet [Duetti] with Matteo Fargion. Dance with Jonathan Burrows. For pf and tape. Composed 1995, first perf Ghent (Vooruit), 1995, Volans.
Walking Music [5:4]. Dance piece with Jonathan Burrows. For perc and tape. Composed 1996, first perf Frankfurt (Schauspielhaus), 1997, Robyn Schulkowsky.
Things I Don’t Know [2nd Rhythmic Etude]. Dance piece with Jonathan Burrows. For tape. First perf London (Laban Centre), 1998.
Wild Air [Desert Steps]. Dance piece with Siobhan Davies. For 2 gui, 2 vc. First perf Oxford (Playhouse), 1999.
Surface Tension [Surface] (assisted by Jürgen Simpson). Dance piece with Shobana Jeyasingh. For hpd and electronic tape. First perf Nottingham (Playhouse), 2000, Carole Cerasi (hpd).
Zeno at 4 am (Confessions of Zeno Part 1). Theatre piece with William Kentridge, libretto by Jane Taylor. For shadow puppets, actor, Bass, str qt and video projection. First perf Brussels, (Lunar Theatre), 2000, Otto Maidi, Sontonga Quartet.
Confessions of Zeno. Theatre piece with William Kentridge, libretto by Jane Taylor. For shadow puppets, actor, Bass, 2 Sop, str qt, video projection. First perf Brussels (Kaaitheater), 2002, Pumeza Matshikiza, Lwazi Ncube, Otto Maidi, Sontonga Quartet.
The Partenheimer Project. Installation with artist Jürgen Partenheimer. For 3 chbr. ensembles: cl, 2 hn, 2 trp, trb; 2 vn, 2 vc; pf, perc (glk, vib, xyl, mar). First perf Birmingham (Ikon Gallery), 2008, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. Ded. to Jürgen Partenheimer.
Orchestral works
One Hundred Frames For orch. First perf Belfast (Ulster Hall), 1991, Ulster Orchestra cond. Yan Pascal Tortelier.
Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments. For solo pf and wind ens. First perf Rotterdam (De Doelen), 1995, Peter Donohoe, Netherlands Wind Ensemble cond. Daniel Harding. Ded. to Barbara Bailey.
Cello Concerto . For vc and orch. First perf Munich, 1997. [rev 2006], Wen-Sinn Yang, Bavarian Radio Orchestra cond. Marek Janowski. Ded. To Marie Donnelly.
Double Violin Concerto. For 2 vn and orch. First perf Belfast (Sonorities festival), 1999, London Sinfonietta. [withdrawn]
Concerto for Double Orchestra. For 2 orch: 444(b cl)4 / 4330 / 2perc pf hp str 88884. First perf London (Barbican Centre), 2002, London Symphony Orchestra cond. Josef Swensen.
Strip-Weave for Orchestra. For orch. Composed 2002-3, first perf Belfast (The Waterfront), 2002, Ulster Orchestra; rev version first perf London (Albert Hall), 2003, BBC Symphony Orch.
Trio Concerto. For pf, vn, vc and orch. First perf Groningen, 2005, Storioni Trio, Noord Nederlands Orkest cond. Alexander Liebreicht. Ded. to Pablo Pascual Cilleruelo.
Piano Concerto No. 2 (‘Atlantic Crossing’). For pf and orch. First perf San Francisco (Davies Symphony Hall), 2006, Marc-André Hamelin, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra cond. Michael Tilson Thomas.
Symphony: Daar Kom die Alibama For chamber orch; 2222/22/86442. Fist perf Edinburgh (Usher Hall) 27 August 2010, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, cond, Robin Ticciati. Ded. To Christine Lucia.
Piano Concerto no. 3. pf and orch. First perf Albert Hall (London) 2011, Barry Douglas, BBC Symphony Orchestra, cond. Tomas Dausgård
Chakra for 3 percussionists and Orchestra. First perf Oslo 14 Sept 2012, SISU and KORK Cond. Ingar Bergby
Chamber music
Compositions for a Composer [Grafik]. Graphic score of indeterminate length, for 2pf (4 players), fl, vn, vc. First perf Johannesburg, 1970.
Module. Graphic score, Aberdeen, 1973.
Grafik [Compositions for a Composer]. Realized by Richard Toop, Cologne (Universiteit Köln), 1974. [withdrawn]
Nine Beginnings 1st version. For pf, vn, tpt, Sop. First perf Brussels (Europa Festival), 1976. [withdrawn]
Delay in Glass. For Sop, C, 2 pf,medieval hp, portable cassetteplayer with tape of natural sounds. First perf Cologne (Beginner Studio), 1979, Barbara Thornton, Ben Bagby, Gerald Barry and Volans.
Mbira. For 2 re-tuned hpd and rattles. First perf Cologne, 1980. [withdrawn]
Matepe. For 2 re-tuned hpd and rattles. First perf Cologne, 1980 (Ostasiatische Museum), by Volans (hpd), Paul Simmonds (hpd), Michael Ranta (rattles and Thai gongs).
Leaping Dance 2nd version. For fiedel, mar & hpd. First perf Frankfurt, 1981, by Volans (hpd), Margriet Tindemanns (fiedel), Robyn Schulkowsky (mar). [withdrawn]
Renewed Music/Reviewed Music [Nine Beginnings]. For 6 perc. First perf Cologne (Schlagzeugfest), 1981, cond. Bernard Kontarsky. [withdrawn]
White Man Sleeps 1st version. For 2 hpd, vl da gamba, perc. First perf London (Institute of Contemporary Arts), 1982, Volans (hpd), Paul Simmonds (hpd), Margriet Tindemans (vl da gamba), Robyn Schulkowsky (perc). Ded. to Margriet Tindemans and Robyn Schulkowsky.
Monkey Music 2nd version. For pf and speaker. First perf London (Institute of Contemporary Arts), 1982. [withdrawn]
Journal: Walking Song . For 2 pf, 2 fl, cl, bn, tpt, trb, vn, db. First perf Durban 1983. [withdrawn]
Walking Song 1st version. For fl, hpd/pf, 4 hand-clappers/finger-clickers. First perf Durban (Art Gallery), 1984, Alain Barker (fl), Volans (hpd), Angela Impey and Matteo Fargion (hand-clappers).
Ways of History (Part One). For pf, vn, vc. First performed Darmstadt, 1984. [withdrawn]
She Who Sleeps with a Small Blanket. For perc solo (4 bongos, 2 congas, b drm, mar). First perf Salzburg (Museum Carolino Augusteum), 1985, Robyn Schulkowsky.
String Quartet No. 1: White Man Sleeps. For str qt. First perf London (Institute of Contemporary Arts), 1986., Kronos Quartet. Ded. to the Kronos Quartet.
Into Darkness 1987, rev 1989. For cl, tpt, perc (mar, vib: 1 or 2 players), pf, vn, vc,
First perf London (Purcell Room), 1987, London New Music. Ded. to Andrew Verster.
Movement for String Quartet [Notes d’un peintre]. For str qt. First perf Durban (Art Gallery), 1987, Schwittering Quartet. [now 2nd Movement Sting Quartet no. 7]
String Quartet No. 2: Hunting : Gathering. For str qt. First perf San Francisco (Herbst Theatre), 1987, Kronos Quartet.
String Quartet No. 3: The Songlines 1988, rev 1993. For str qt. First perf New York (Alice Tully Hall), 1988, Kronos Quartet. Ded. to Bruce Chatwin.
String Quartet No. 4: The Ramanujan Notebooks. For str qt. First perf London (Almeida Theatre), 1990, Smith Quartet. Ded. to Elizabeth Chatwin.
Chevron. For large chamber ensemble. First perf Brighton, 1990. [withdrawn]
String Quartet No. 5: Dancers on a Plane. For str qt and tape. First perf London (Barnes Music Society), 1995, Duke Quartet.
This Is How It Is (arr. extract from The Man With Footsoles of Wind). For wind ens. Composed 1995, recorded Chandos Recording Studios, 1996, Netherlands Wind Ensemble.
Untitled: In Memoriam G.H.V. [Graham Volans]. For pf solo and offstage wind ens. Composed 1995, recorded Chandos Recording Studios, 1996, Volans and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble cond. Wim Steinmann.
Leaping Dance 3rd version. For wind ens. Composed 1995, first perf Chandos Recording Studio, 1996, Netherlands Wind Ensemble.
L’Isle Joyeuse [Debussy, arr. Volans]. For wind ens. Composed 1995, first perf Rotterdam (De Doelen), 1996, Netherlands Wind Ensemble cond. Daniel Harding.
Asanga. For solo perc (6 drums). Composed 1997, first perf Stockholm, 1998, Robyn Schulkowsky. Ded. to Robyn Schulkowsky.
Akrodha. For solo perc (tom, congas, high bon, bdms, unspecified metal instrs). Composed 1998, first perf Stockholm (New Music Festival), 1999, Jonny Axelsson. Ded. to Jonny Axelsson.
String Quartet No. 6. For double str qt (str qt x 2) or tape + str qt. Composed 2000, first perf London (Bishopsgate Hall), 2001, Duke Quartet.
1000 bars. For pf duet, vn, vc. First perf Dublin (Up North! Festival), 2002, Crash Ensemble. Ded. to the Wild Girl of Darmstadt.
Trumpet and String Quartet 1. For E-flat tpt, str qt. Composed 2002. [withdrawn]
Trumpet and String Quartet 2. For tpt, str qt. First perf Eindhoven (Philips Hall), 2002. [withdrawn]
String Quartet No. 7. For str qt. First perf Dublin (Up North! Festival), 2002, Cikada Quartet. Ded. to Kate and John Fraher.
Piano Trio No. 1. For pf, vn, vc. First perf Cork (Bantry House), 2003, Osiris Trio.
Desert Steps [Wild Air/St Qt No. 8]. For vl, vc, 2 gui. Composed 2003.
Chakra. For perc trio. First perf Oslo (Ultima Festival), 2004, SISU Percussion Ensemble. Ded. to SISU.
Passi Leggieri. For Hardanger fiddle or violin. First perf Oslo (Ultima Festival), 2004.
4 Guitars. For 2 x 6-string and 2 x Brahms gui. First perf Dublin, 2004, Dublin Guitar Quartet. Ded. to the Dublin Guitar Quartet.
Double Take 2004 For cl, pf. First perf Dublin (The Music Network), 2004, Carol McGonnell and Finian Collins. Ded. to Carol McGonnell.
String Quartet No. 8: Black Woman Rising . For str qt. First perf Chicago (Ravinia Festival), 2004, Kronos Quartet. Ded. to Pumeza Matshikiza. [temporarily withdrawn]
String Quartet No. 9: Shiva Dances [2nd Structural Etude]. For str qt. First perf Huddersfield, 2004, Smith Quartet.
String Quartet No. 10. For str qt. First perf Dublin (RTE Living Music Festival), 2006, Vanburgh Quartet.
Joining up the Dots. For 2 pf, strs. First perf Dublin, 2007, Crash Ensemble.
A Short Walk in The Gardens of Solitude. For vc solo. First perf Ludwigsburg (Festspiele), 2007, Gavriel Lipkind.
The Partenheimer Project. For 3 chbr ensembles: cl, 2 hn, 2 trp, trb; 2 vn, 2 vc; pf, perc (glk, vib, xyl, mar). First perf Birmingham (Ikon Gallery), 2008, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.
Piano Trio No. 2. For pf, vn, vc. First perf Kruisrivier (Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees), 2009, Jill Richards, Waldo Malan, Maren du Plessis.
This Is How It Is [piano trio arr. of wind ens arr.] For pf, vn, vc. First perf Kruisrivier (Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees), 2009, Jill Richards, Waldo Malan, Maren du Plessis.
Trumpet Vibe Cello Piano. For tpt, vib, vc, pf. First perf Dublin, 2009, Crash Ensemble
No Translation: Six Sketches after Juan Uslé. For 2 vn, 2 vl, 2 vc, 3 perc. First perf (IMMA) Dublin, 2009.
viola : piano. For vl, pf. First perf London (Wigmore Hall), 2009, Volans and Garth Knox. Ded. to Mary Rörich.
violin : piano. For pf, vn. Completed 2008. Ded. to Waldo Alexander. First perf Ultima Festival Berlin 2012 Waldo Alexander and Kevin Volans
cello : piano . Completed 2009.First perf Ultima Festival Berlin 2012, Anna Carewe, Irmela Roelke
String Quartet no. 11. Performed by the Callino Quartet, Dublin NCH
Concerto for solo Percussion and ensemble. For 2 vn, vl, vc, db, pf solo perc, shadow perc, fl(picc) ob, cl (bcl) bsn (contra bsn), Hn, Tpt, Hp Ded. to Jonny Axelsson, First perf March 2014 Stockholm, Jonny Axelsson, Kammerensemblen, cond. Christian Eggen
Looping Point. For fl, clar, pf, vn, vl, vc, Cb. First perf Dublin, 2012, Crash Ensemble, cond. Alan Pierson Ded. to June Schneider
Turning Point. For fl, cl, vn, db, 2 pf. First perf. June 2012, Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival ensemble. Ded. to June Schneider
Calefaccion. For ob, cl, sop sax, bass cl, bsn. First perf. De Doeln, Rotterdam, 12 Oct 2014. Calefax reed Ensemble
Matepe for Calefax. For ob, clar, sop sax, bass cl, bsn. First perf. De Doeln, Rotterdam, 12 Oct 2014. Calefax reed Ensemble
7 Flutes. 2014
7 Clarinets and 1 Flute. 2014
7 Bass Winds. 2014
Piano music
Monkey Music [Etude No. V] 1st version. For solo pf. Composed 1976, rev 1981 and 2003. First perf Paris (Pompidou Centre), 1977, Herbert Henck. Ded. to Herbert Henck.
Nine Beginnings. For 2 pf. Composed 1979, revd 1985. First perf Cologne (Beginner Studio), 1979, Volans and Gerald Barry.
Mr Barry, Lebenskünstler. For solo pf. 1980. [now part of Progressively Prickly Piano Pieces}
Nine Beginnings. 2nd version for solo pf. First perf Dublin, 1981. [withdrawn]
Newer Music for Piano. For solo pf. First perf Frankfurt (Theater am Turm), 1981, Volans.
Leaping Dance. 1st version for 2 pf. First perf London (Institute of Contemporary Arts), 1984, Peter Seivewright and Gustav Fenyo
Kneeling Dance. For 2 pf. First perf London (Institute of Contemporary Arts), 1984.
Kneeling Dance 2nd version. For 6 pf. First perf Southampton, 1992, Piano Circus.
Cicada. For 2 pf. First perf Los Angeles (LA County Museum of Art), 1994, Double Edge. Ded. to Derek Hill.
March. For solo pf. Composed 1996. Premiered Dublin (National Concert Hall), 1997.
Happiness is a Warm Gun. For solo pf (Lennon/McCartney, arr. K.Volans). Recorded 1991, Aki Takahashi.
Wrist Rock. For solo pf. Composed 1999.
3 Rhythmic Etudes [Etudes No. I, II, III]. For solo pf. First perf Durban (Howard College Theatre), 2003, Jill Richards. Ded. to Jill Richards. [Etude I is in memory of Khabi Mngoma]
3 Structural Etudes [Etudes No. IV, VI, VII]. For solo pf. First perf Huddersfield, 2004, Jill Richards.
Etude No. V [Monkey Music]. For solo pf. Composed 1976, rev 1981 and 2003. 2003 version Ded. to Herbert Henck.
Shiva Dances. For 2 pf . First perf London (LSO St. Luke’s, Old Street), 2008, Volans and Jill Richards.
Mr. Handel’s Return. For 2 pf. First perf London (LSO St. Luke’s, Old Street), 2008,Volans and Richards.
Etude No. 8. For solo pf. First perf Belfast (Sonorities festival), 1988, Volans.
Etude No. 9. For solo pf. Composed 2009. Ded. to Jill Richards.
3 Books of Piano pieces for ‘Young’ Players Ded. to Ishbel Sholto-Douglas:
Pint-sized Piano Pieces
Progressively Prickly Piano Pieces
Pieces for Precocious Pianists
PMB Impromptu Ded. to Renee Rezneck
L’Africaine for Piano. First perf. by Melvyn Tan, London 2017
Marabi Nights. For solo pf. 2017
Etude No. 10 (Glosa a lo Divino) For solo pf. Revised 2018
Etude No. 11 (Canciones del Alma) For solo pf. Revised 2018
Etude No. 12 For solo pf. Revised 2018. Ded. to Jill Richards and Pierre du Toit
Etude No. 13 For solo pf. 2018
Blackbird:Blackbird For 2 asynchronous pianos 2018
Organ
Walking Song 2nd version. For solo org. First perf Dublin (Festival of 20th-Century Music), 1986, Gerald Barry.
Choral music
One Day Fine. Xhosa tongue-twister text. For 1 large and 2 smaller choirs. First perf Grahamstown (Cathedral), 2000, Indaba Festival Singers cond. Makaya Mjana. [suitable only for Xhosa speakers]
Glosa a lo Divino. Text by San Juan de la Cruz. In 14 parts (SSACTTB). First perf Scotland (East Neuk Festival), 2006, Paul Hillier’s Theatre of Voices. Ded. to Pablo Pascual Cilleruelo.
Canciones del Alma. Text by San Juan de la Cruz. In 12 parts (SSATB) + solo pf. Composed 2009. In memoriam Bruce Chatwin.
The Mountain that Left Texts by Nontsizi Mgqwetho, Keats, Machado, Rimbaud, Shelley.
for 24 voices, solo soprano, 10 instruments. First perf, Barbican, London 24th September. Pumeza Matshikiza, the BBC Singers, members of the BBC Symphony, cond. David Hill
Electronic and electro-acoustic works
KwaZulu Summer Landscape. Tape of natural sounds (stereo; originally quadrophonic).
Recorded and composed 1977-79 [70’, reduced from 20 hours of field recordings]. First perf New York, 1979 (Experimental Intermedia Foundation).
Studies in Zulu History. Electronic tape (stereo; originally quadrophonic). Composed 1977-79. First perf London (Institute of Contemporary Arts), 1982.
Cover Him with Grass [Lesotho Mountain Village]. Tape of natural sounds (stereo). Recorded and composed 1979. First perf London (Institute of Contemporary Arts), 1982.
Dating works and assigning categories
Works are dated by year of first performance, which means the first public performance of a particular version of a work. Some pieces/versions have been withdrawn as scores (which means No. further performances are permitted) but they exist on recordings, cases in point being Nonesuch’s Pieces of Africa, which has an unrevised version of String Quartet No. I: White Man Sleeps and Landor’s Cover Him With Grass, which has Mbira. Some early works were included in Volans’s DMus portfolio (1985) but are not yet available from Chester as published scores. Titles in square brackets are alternative titles or related works (such as dance). Venues, festivals, dedications, and names of performers who played at premieres are given for most of the works.
Abbreviations
The Grove Online style of abbreviations for instruments and musical terms is used (where sing always implies plur):
A = Alto (voice)
arr = arranged
b = bass (range)
B = Bass (voice)
Bar = Baritone (voice)
bn = bassoon
C = Countertenor (voice)
cel = celeste
chbr = chamber
choreog = choreographer
cl = clarinet
collab = collaborator
conc = concerto
db = double bass
ded = dedicated
dir = director
drm = drum
eng hn = English horn (cor anglais)
ens = ensemble
fl = flute
glk = glockenspiel
gui = guitar
hn = (French) horn
hp = harp
hpd = harpsichord
mar = marimba
movt = movement
No. = number
ob = oboe
op = opera
orch = orchestra
org = organ
perc = percussion
perf = performed
pf = piano
proj = projection
rev = revised
solo = soloist
Sop/S = soprano (voice)
str qt = string quartet
strs = strings
Ten/T = Tenor (voice)
Tom – tomtoms
Treb = Treble (voice)
tpt = trumpet
trb = trombone
vc = cello
vib = vibraphone
vl = viola
vn = violin
xyl = xylophone