News from 2006
Presenting & TV/Film news in 2006
Howard’s Channel 4 series How Music Works, aired on Channel 4 at the end of 2006, to great acclaim. You can go to a dedicated page for this series on this website here. Sadly Channel 4 have yet to release the series on DVD, nor is there an accompanying book. Sorry! In addition, Howard’s award-winning Channel 4 series Howard Goodall’s 20th Century Greats was transmitted no less than four times during 2006.
Howard once again co-presented the Music for Youth Schools’ Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, November 13-15th, was chief juror for the BBC Choir of the Year finals (broadcast by Radio 3 and BBC FOUR in December) and presented the BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year from Westminster Abbey on 5th November. In May he presented the BBC Young Musician of the Year final from the Sage Gateshead and in August he presented the BBC Promenade Concert featuring the (fabulous) National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
In 2006 TV series for which Howard composed theme and incidental music included The Catherine Tate Show, Q.I., The Vicar of Dibley, Twelve Books that Changed the World, Seaside Parish, Island Parish.
Choral Works and CD news in 2006
The CD of Winter Lullabies [CCL CDG 1155], his song cycle for upper voices and harp, performed by the boys of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, directed by Stephen Darlington, with star soloist Catrin Finch on harp was recorded in 2006. . Winter Lullabies received its live premiere at St John’s Smith Square on December 13th 2006. Winter Lullabies is published by Faber Music and can be ordered here.
Howard’s The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23) featured on Alfie Boe’s CD onward
Education News in 2006
Howard welcomed the launch of the Music Manifesto Report No.2, Making every child’s music matter, on 18th October. He was chair of the Vocal Strategy Workstream for the Music Manifesto and Youth Music. Downloadable copies of the report (including Howard’s article in it) can be found here. The outcome of that report was government funding from 2007-2012 of a National Singing Programme – Sing Up, for which Howard was the National Singing Ambassador from 2007 to 2011. More details about this can be found here.
Musicals News in 2006:
Howard’s musical Days of Hope was revived in a professional production atLondon’s celebrated King’s Head Theatre 13th March – 22nd April. The production was directed by TMA Barclays Theatre Award winner Russell Labey and starred David Burt, Siobhan McCarthy, Aimie Atkinson (2006 BBC Radio 2 Voice of Musical Theatre winner), Simon Thomas, Matt Cross, Victoria Yeates & James Russell.
Howard and Charles Hart’s musical The Dreaming was revived in July and October by the National Youth Music Theatre.
Howard’s musical Two Cities completed its successful premiere run at the Salisbury Playhouse in October 2006. Joanna Read, who wrote the book, directed a fine young cast.
Howard wrote a song with Charles Hart for the first Barbican Panto, Dick Whittington & his Cat. From The Sunday Times Culture 10th December:
“….The romantic leads, the thigh-slapping principal boy, Summer Strallen – of the the Dame says, ‘we’ve never had a slapper in the family before’ – and her love interest, Alice Fitzwarren (Caroline Sheen), are splendid, in particularly fine tune during the show’s best song, Like You, by Howard Goodall and Charles Hart….” [Patricia Nicol]
Awards News in 2006
The 2006 Voice of the Listener & Viewer Naomi Sargant Memorial Award was awarded to Howard ‘For Outstanding Contribution to Education in Broadcasting’. Jan Younghusband, Commissioning Editor for Arts & Performance at Channel 4 collected this award on Howard’s behalf at a ceremony at the Royal National Hotel on 19th April. He was honoured in July with a Doctorate in Music by Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln & the University of Leicester, for outstanding services to music education. And on the 25th October at a ceremony at the Savoy Hotel, the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters presented Howard with their coveted Gold Badge Award for exceptional service in support of British composers and songwriters.