We’re very proud to announce the winner of our Vocalise! commission for our 150th season – in a judging process spearheaded by David Hill, Stephanie Jayne Amies was crowned as the winning composer.
All of the entries were asked to share an excerpt of a work inspired by nature which will be sung by The Bach Choir and our Vocalise! cohort for 2025-26. Stephanie chose to write about the Common Swift, which is a truly fascinating bird and a very worthy one to write about since it’s on the Red List (meaning it’s under threat of extinction).
We caught up with Stephanie to ask her all about the piece she’s composing, her previous work and why she’s so excited to work with The Bach Choir…
Our interview
The Bach Choir: We’re so happy to announce you as the winner of our Vocalise! Commission for our 150th season, Stephanie. Can you tell us a bit about your composing career to date?
Stephanie Jayne Amies: “Thank you so much for selecting me. I am really excited to be a part of this project.
I am predominantly a musical theatre composer and lyricist, but I am also a choir leader of six community choirs and I love to write music for them too. I have worked as part of the writing team ‘Amies & Clements’ for over ten years and have written the music and lyrics for several musicals. These include award-winning ‘Tomorrow, Maybe’ (Three Weeks Award, Edinburgh Fringe, and Daily Echo Curtain Call Awards), ‘Compass’ (commissioned by Mayflower Theatre), and ‘The Night the War Ended’ (commissioned by British Youth Musical Theatre). I am currently working on a modernisation of ‘Five Children and It’ by E. Nesbit, along with an original musical about the community, health and wellbeing benefits of singing in a choir.”
TBC: You showed us a sneak peek of the work that you’re making, which we can’t wait to hear more of. What’s it about?
SJA: “The piece is about the migration of the Common Swift. They are an interesting, and unique bird that nest in the UK in our late spring-summer months. They’re on the Red List for endangered species in Great Britain.“
TBC: What compelled you to write a piece about this specifically?
SJA: “Part of the brief for the commission was to write about nature, I knew quite early on that I wanted to write something about migration, probably because I’m often inspired by the sky when writing music (I love writing outside in the warmer months). One of my best friends is a conservationist and loves birds, so she helped me research different options. It was important to me that the piece related to endangered birds and as soon as I found out that Swifts spend such a huge proportion of their lives in flight, (flying even when they are sleeping) I knew that was what I wanted to explore.
One of the things I love most about composing for singers is creating beautiful, expressive harmonies and I was really inspired by the possibility that the music and vocals could be continually flowing throughout the piece, just like the Swifts in flight. I must confess that I knew very little about Swifts before starting this project, but I have learnt so much through my research, I have become quite captivated by them. I will be watching out for them this summer with a greater awareness, understanding and appreciation. I hope that through this project others may become Swift supporters too, especially as there are ways that we can individually make a positive difference to help protect them and their nest sites here in the UK.“
TBC: Have you picked up any tips on how we can help protect swifts in the research for this piece?
SJA: “Absolutely. Helping Swifts is quite simple because they mostly nest in our houses and one of the threats to their survival is the destruction of their nesting sites through renovations and modern building works. We can add Swift bricks or Swift boxes to our houses, especially if you are having building work done that will disturb an existing nest site. We can also protect Swifts by protecting our insects as that is their source of food. There is so much information out there and the RSPB has some fantastic talks, walks and information about how to save our Swifts. There are also local groups and charities too – I am personally very grateful to Hampshire Swifts who organised two Swift walks for me as part of this project.”
TBC: What have you learned about nature from composing this piece?
SJA: “I’ve always been a lover of nature and love being outside on long walks, but until now I’ve never taken the time to really learn about a specific aspect, and I’m so glad I now have. Nature is all around us, all the time, and there is so much we don’t realise about its beauty and resilience.”
TBC: Why are Swifts so important?
SJA: “Swifts are sadly on the Red List of conservation concern as there has been a huge decline in their numbers, but they are such a remarkable and unique bird. There are many fascinating things about them, but the thing that everyone talks about, that I’ve now experienced for myself, is their ‘screaming parties’. In our summer months when they are nesting in the UK, Swifts gather and fly around our houses, swooping and screaming, which is their high pitched, very recognisable call. Every time I’ve spotted some Swifts, I’ve always heard them first! There has been lots of speculation about why they do this, but some people believe it’s because they just enjoy it, and I have to say that the sense of joy and wonder I felt watching them was really something else. Totally mesmerising.”
TBC: Why is it so important that we teach children about nature?
I think educating children (and ourselves) about nature, helps to nurture a love and respect for the world around us. I hope that it will help people get outside more, to enjoy the many benefits of being out in nature, and in return help to save it. With Swifts in particular, the thing that has stuck with me is you don’t need to go to somewhere rural to appreciate nature, the Swifts come to towns and cities too and that’s just incredible to see.
TBC: You’re deep in the process of writing this work. Talk us through your compositional process – what does a typical day of composing look like?
SJA: “A creative day can look quite different depending on what stage of the process I am in. For me, the early days of composing are more about how the piece feels rather than thinking about any specifics, so being in the right frame of mind is important. If I’ve already had an idea that has been bubbling away at the back of my mind until I can find a moment to work on it, when I finally get that chance, (sometimes days or weeks later), the process can be relatively simple. I will sit down at the piano to find the right chords and the right feel to accompany the melody I have in my head, then the piece will develop from there. If the idea is brand new, it is difficult to write or the song must function in a certain way, then this will be a much slower process. I will start the day by listening to inspirational music and just letting my mind relax into a more creative place. Regardless of how I start the day, there is always a lot of tea involved!
The best way I can describe my process is that I write initial ideas almost subconsciously (by feeling the piece), then rewrite and refine it consciously and in detail (by thinking about the piece). Being outside in nature really helps me. I also come up with lots of musical ideas whilst driving, including the opening music for this project. I have so many voice notes on my phone from when I’ve parked at my destination, quickly recorded what I have written so I don’t forget it, before getting on with whatever I am supposed to be doing that day, most probably teaching one of my choirs.“
TBC: Our Vocalise! Programme is all about sharing the joy of singing. Are you a singer yourself?
SJA: “Yes, I am a singer – it’s a huge part of my life and the way I write. I very much believe that singing should be for everyone, and I am so lucky that I get to share that joy every day with my choir work. “
TBC: This piece will be sung by some of the children who are part of our Vocalise! Programme and also members of The Bach Choir. Has writing for children changed the way that you approached this piece? And if so, what changed?
SJA: “Writing for children has definitely influenced the original idea for the piece because I really wanted it to be educational and inspiring for the children involved, giving a positive message about conservation. It also does change the way I approach the vocal harmonies. I am writing a special musical line just for the children that is integral to the piece but can also exist as a melody of its own, which can be performed without additional singers. I hope this will make the piece more accessible for other schools or smaller choirs to try in the future.“
TBC: What advice can you give to budding composers who are looking to get their work commissioned?
SJA: “I’m continually learning, but some of the biggest breakthroughs for me were things I fell into almost by accident. So always give things a go because you never know where you will end up or what you might discover about yourself.
For commissions, if you don’t think you’re right for something, apply anyway because you never really know what someone might be looking for, it might just happen to be you.“
To find out more about our Vocalise! programme, click here – we’ll be keeping you in the loop on how Stephanie’s new piece is progressing in the coming months.