Michael Jamieson Bristow

composer

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Michael Jamieson Bristow is a composer, music editor, music historian and church organist and acquired an interest in National Anthems as a teenager at school and has since become one of the world's leading experts, making frequent radio and television broadcasts on the subject. He has also worked in the BBC Record Library where he specialised in Scandinavian and French orchestral music. Michael is an authority on the music of both the Russian composer Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) (see below) and the British composer Constant Lambert (1905-1951) (see below)

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On February 27 1984 Michael became Co-Editor together with William Leonard Reed MA DMus (1910-2002) of the 6th Edition of 'National Anthems of the World' (published March 25 1985 - reprinted 1986), 7th Edition (published November 02 1987 - reprinted 1989), 8th Edition (published May 13 1993), 9th Edition (published June 26 1997 - reprinted 1998) and 10th Edition (published August 29 2002) and upon the death of Dr W L Reed on April 15 2002 he became Editor. The 11th Edition of the book 'National Anthems of the World' was published on August 17 2006. On November 04 1993 Michael also became Editor of the 1st Edition (published February 28 2000 - reprinted 2001) of 'State Songs of America'. 'State Anthems of Malaysia' is Michael's third book (which is about to be published) and he is currently working on his fourth book 'Provincial Songs of Canada'

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Michael is Half-British and Half-Canadian born in England, he grew up in Welling (Kent) and later lived in Paignton (Devon), Minster (Isle of Sheppey - Kent) and Halkirk (Caithness - Scotland); he moved to Hafslundsøy Sarpsborg in Norway on October 18 2004 where he now lives alone with his two cats named Chiefie and Tootsie (sisters - both born at the Catamaran Club, Minster, Isle of Sheppey, Kent on Sunday, May 16 1993) who also have their own British EU Passports! He has been a member of the Wilhelm Peterson-Berger Sãllskapet of Stockholm (Sweden) since 1972 and a shareholder in the private company Wilkin & Sons Limited of Tiptree (UK) since 1996

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On October 08 1984 Michael was elected a FRGS (Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society) 

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Apart from Glazunov and Lambert Michael's other favourite composers are the Irish composer Ina Boyle (1889-1967) (see below), the Norwegian composer Eivind Groven (1901-1977) (see below and Links Page), the Swedish composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger (1867-1942) (see below and Links Page) and the French composer Gabriel Pierne (1863-1937) (see below)

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Michael has many favourite pieces of music, but his two most special favourites are the Cantata: 'La Damoiselle Elue' (1887-1888) by Claude Debussy (1862-1918), it is a very expressive work and erotically otherworldly fantasies that are daring in the extreme, with the action taking place in the Paradise of Lovers where the Damoiselle expects the arrival of her terrestrian lover. And the Symphony No.2 'Dierdre' - A Celtic Symphony (1926-1927) by Rutland Boughton (1878-1960). However one of the greatest masterpieces of all time is without doubt the 4th Movement Molto Allegro of the Symphony No.41 in C major 'Jupiter' K551 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), in this great music one is transcended to a different level in this world, it is full of compassion and human emotion, there is nothing in music quite like this finale of Mozart's last great symphony

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Michael is often being asked exactly where did he live in Welling, so he has decided to quote all the addresses of where he has lived:

1945 - June 27 1967:
21 Buckingham Avenue, Welling, Kent DA16 2LY, ENGLAND UK (built 1936)

June 27 1967 - August 10 1971:
4 Cary Road, Paignton, Devon TQ3 1BY, ENGLAND UK (built 1966)

August 10 1971 - November 29 2001:
Trees, Nelson Avenue, Minster, Isle of Sheppey, Kent ME12 3SE, ENGLAND UK (built 1962)  and also
March 15 1985 - February 05 1986:
25A Watling Street, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 7QJ, ENGLAND UK

November 29 2001 - October 18 2004:
Nissedal, George Street, Halkirk, Caithness KW12 6YE, SCOTLAND UK (built 1981)

October 18 2004 - 2008:
Storebjørn 1, NO-1734 HAFSLUNDSØY, NORWAY (built 1974)

I shall be moving towards the end of 2008 to TORP, FREDRIKSTAD

30% of Britons buying abroad and intending a permanent move were back in the UK within 3 years

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Twenty-Five Quotations:

(1) "God created the world, but the Dutch created Holland." - Voltaire (1694-1778)

(2) "We are nothing; less than nothing, and dreams. We are only what might have been." - Charles Lamb (1775-1834)

(3) "Nature is without aim, she is an endless circle and leads us nowhere." - Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

(4) "We can have one great experience at best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible." - Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

(5) "Most people hate the taste of beer - to begin with. It is, however, a prejudice that many people have been able to overcome." - Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

(6) "It is a matter of choosing the right time, not too late or not too soon. This is very difficult. One will have to be very smart as well as lucky. But if we do something with honest intentions and to the best of our ability, we should be regarded as already tried our best." - HM King Prajadhipok (1893-1941) (King of Thailand (1925-1935)

(7) "Seize the day, seize the hour." - Mao Tse-tung (1893-1976)

(8) Simplicity versus complexity:
"Things which are complicated tend to disappear and get lost. Simplicity is difficult, not easy. Beauty is simple. All unnecessary elements are removed - only essence remains." - Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000)

(9) "Life without music is unthinkable, music without life is academic, that is why my contract with music is a total embrace." - Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

(10) "Never treat friends like a library book." - Michael Jamieson Bristow (b.1945)

(11) "Stay close to those who matter most, and be true to yourself in your pursuits."

(12) "You are what your heart tells you, stick to that and you'll figure it out."

(13) "Stay true to yourself, so just open your heart and let it take you wherever it wants to go."

(14) "That which never comes at the right time, never comes at all."

(15) "Rome wasn't built in a day."

(16) "Strike whilst the iron is hot."

(17) "Where there's a will, there's a way."

(18) "One door closes and another door opens."

(19) "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

(20) "Norwegian people discriminate and are difficult, sceptical, unsociable and think that their culture is best compared with others." - this was a comment made by an Eastern European woman who has lived in Norway since 1997

(21) "He who loans money to a friend stands to loose both."

(22) "Strong belief triggers the mind to figure out the way."

(23) "It is hard to be yourself, if you don't know who you are."

(24) True Friendship:
(a) "A true friend is someone who knows all your secrets, without using them against you."
(b) "A true friend helps you without asking a favour in return, and is there for you when you needed someone mostly. But more importantly, a friend is someone who sees your imperfections, accepts them and forgives them."
(c) "True friends make the bad times bearable and the good times great!"

(25) "Once you made my life feel like a dream. I was happy in that dream. But dreams only last so long. And you are gone now." "En gang fikk du livet mitt til å føles som en drøm. Jeg var glad i den drømmen. Men drømmer varer ikke evig. Og du er borte nå."

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Some Personal Dates and Locations:

Born: March 14 1945 - 'Inglemere', 2 Chestnut Grove, Fleet, Hampshire, UK
Baptised: November 06 1949 - St John's Church, Welling, Kent, UK
School: April 27 1950 - Westwood Primary School, Welling, Kent, UK
Confirmed: February 28 1961 - St Michael's Church, Welling, Kent, UK
Married: September 09 1976 - Sheerness, Kent, UK
Divorced: October 22 1980 - Maidstone, Kent, UK

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Michael's other main interest is coin collecting:

Malaysia (1967-2007 - complete)
Netherlands (1948-2001 - complete)
Norway (1945-1972 & 1981-2008 - complete) + Kroner (1913-1996 - complete) 
United Kingdom (1945-2007- complete) + Pennies (1860-1967,1970 - complete) + Silver Halfcrowns (1893-1946 - to be completed)
also:
Canada (25 cents) (1945-2008 - to be completed)
Sweden (1 krona) (1945-2007 - complete)
United States of America (10 cents) (1945-2007 - complete)

Other interests include: beekeeping, growing herbs, chess, playing card games, cycling, swimming, the British Empire and the London Underground

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Michael's favourite towns in England are: Aldeburgh (Suffolk), Farningham (Kent), Totnes (Devon) and Whitstable (Kent)

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Michael's favourite painters are: Jan Vermeer (1632-1675) and Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) (see below)

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Michael's favourite top ten national anthems

1

SYRIA

2

NETHERLANDS

3

IVORY COAST

4

VENEZUELA

5

PAKISTAN

6

LEBANON

7

CAMEROON

8

NORWAY

9

KOREA (NORTH)

10

SWEDEN

 

Michael's favourite top four former national anthems

1

EGYPT (1960-1979)

2

TUNISIA (1958-1987)

3

IRAN (1933-1979)

4

NIGERIA (1960-1978)

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Michael's favourite movies are:

The Vikings (1958)
I'll Met by Moonlight (1964)
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1967)
Snow Treasure (1968)
Pelle the Conqueror (1987)
Kamilla and the Thief (1988)

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On March 05 2005 Michael became the Assistant Organist of the Metodistkirken, St Mariegate 56, NO-1706 SARPSBORG, Norway; and was appointed Organist for one year from January 01 2007 to December 31 2007. From January 01 2008 Michael is once again the Assistant Organist.

Other organist appointments are as follows:

Assisitant Organist: St Mary-the-Virgin - Welling Kent England (1960-1963)
Organist: All Saints' - Eastchurch Isle of Sheppey Kent England (+ St Thomas - Harty) (1981-1982)
Organist & Choirmaster: Holy Trinity - Sheerness Isle of Sheppey Kent England (1983-1985)
Organist: All Saints' - Eastchurch Isle of Sheppey Kent England (+ St Thomas - Harty) (1988-1994)
Organist: Holy Trinity - Sheerness Isle of Sheppey Kent England (1996-2000) (*)
Organist: Holy Trinity - Queenborough Isle of Sheppey Kent (January-November 2001) (*) - moved to Scotland
(*) also at the same time Assistant Organist: Minster Abbey - Minster-on-Sea Isle of Sheppey Kent England (1999-2001) - moved to Scotland
Co-Organist & Choirmaster: St Peters - Thurso Caithness Scotland (+ Reay Church) (+ occasionally Wick Church) (June 2003-October 2004) - moved to Norway

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Website online since September 10 2005

 

 

July 30 2008 07:40 GMT