Nathaniel J.S. Barnes
Biography
Nathaniel Barnes is a composer residing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Starting piano lessons when he was five years old, he developed a keen interest in music and was later active in multiple musical ensembles during his teen years. As well, he was drawn toward small film projects in high school and as a result, attended York University, graduating with an honours BFA in screenwriting. His love for music ultimately won out and he furthered his own education independently, studying theory and history, and then began composing.
Drawing influences from a variety of sources and diverse as Renaissance polyphonic music, Brahms, Vaughan Williams, Thomas Newman and Stephen Sondheim, he enjoys classical masterpieces as well as serious musical theatre, film scores and has a burgeoning fascination with jazz.
In 2005, he co-wrote the libretto, wrote the lyrics and composed the songs for a musical entitled Conquest. Set in an Irish peasant village in the late 10th century, it tells the tale of a Viking leader, weary of his life of plunder, who becomes enamoured with a beautiful peasant woman. Together, their mutual admiration drives them to make plans to explore the new found land across the ocean of which they have heard only rumours. The girl's father and the Viking leader's enraged underling both plot to sabotage the leader on his wedding day and though tragedy ensues, the story still resolves with an uplifting finale. Conquest was performed in the autumn of 2005 in a small theatre in Toronto using semi-professional and community theatre talent.
In 2007, Nathaniel began to compose his Requiem. Having loved the requiems of Brahms, Faure, Mozart, Rutter and others for many years, he attempted his first major work for full orchestra and choir (SATB plus Soprano and Baritone soloists). Salvaging some of the traditional Latin text, he also utilized Pericles' Funeral Oration (translated from Thucydides), poetry by Keats, John McCrae, Kipling and others. Not constrained by religious dogma, the Requiem is as much a contemplation of life, remembrance and achievement as it is a cathartic work on death and grieving. On May 18, 2008 Requiem was performed by the Orlando Chamber Singers in Orlando, Florida, under the direction of conductor Gregory Ruffer.