# English composer Tarik O'Regan: anyone know his work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-composer-tarik-oregan-anyone-know-his-work/488087 "2009-03-03T01:35:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-composer-tarik-oregan-anyone-know-his-work/488087/1 "2009-03-03T01:35:30Z")
Next year my choir will be performing a new work by the English composer Tarik O’Regan. Is anyone familar with his music? What’s it like? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-composer-tarik-oregan-anyone-know-his-work/488087/2 "2009-03-05T21:16:43Z")
One bump. ---
**Author:** ![Eman\_Resu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Eman\_Resu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eman_Resu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-composer-tarik-oregan-anyone-know-his-work/488087/3 "2009-03-06T14:10:21Z")
My specialty is neither vocal music nor early music, but it sounds like music of the Renaissance or earlier, sometimes with some modern twists–in one case I heard a melody that sounded like it was in one mode, then slipped into a distantly related mode, producing an angular effect. Almost like if somebody like Bartok lived in the 15th century, but not quite–I’m probably wrong, but to my ears the primary influence seemed to be early music to an overwhelming degree, with just a hint of modernism. The melodies, timbres, voice leading, etc. all bring back memories of my early music history class. This is just from listening to a couple of tracks, so I might be way off base, but that was my general impression. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-composer-tarik-oregan-anyone-know-his-work/488087/4 "2009-03-06T14:31:36Z")
There’s [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-e5yq5A7ZY) on Youtube…and the summary of it picking elements from various early music styles seems fair. One moment there’s a more than a hint of the Notre Dame school, the next it seems to want to morph into a lively 15th century song, and I suppose the familiar sound of the Orlando Consort is helping to create that impression as well! Not entirely uninteresting… Edit: you can hear more here: [http://www.facebook.com/pages/TARIK-OREGAN-Threshold-of-Night/19774695115](http://www.facebook.com/pages/TARIK-OREGAN-Threshold-of-Night/19774695115) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-composer-tarik-oregan-anyone-know-his-work/488087/5 "2009-03-06T14:41:40Z")
Actually, having listened to some of what’s on that Facebook page, I’m finding it rather unsatisfying…one moment he’s using Britten-ish harmonies, then there’s something hinting at John Adams…I think what I’m feeling is lacking is any sense of it actually being by _somebody else_, if that makes any sense. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-composer-tarik-oregan-anyone-know-his-work/488087/6 "2009-03-07T00:26:57Z")
Thanks for that **Eman Resu**. And I agree **GorillaMan**. His style does seem to be a bit of a mishmash. No doubt we’ll get into the groove once we start rehearsing the piece.