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Contact

For musical enquiries, please contact James directly at:

50c Hunterfield Rd
Gorebridge
EH23 4TT

For acting work, please contact his agent:

Agent (for Acting)

DJW Talent

2 Union Square

Darlington

Co Durham DL1 1GL

Tel: 07855-505551

www.djwtalent.co.uk

daniel@djwtalent.co.uk

For music: contact James direct

Buy CDs

You can buy three CDs from this website. See the shop page.

Children's music

For an example of children's music, click here

Reviews

The work of someone with a clear vision... very original lyrics... the ideas come thick and fast

Out of the bedroom

Intelligent, thought-provoking... If we'd known him for the last 20 or 30 years he'd sell bushels of CDs

MGCK

The revelation was Bryce's music... complex and many-stranded

Hi-Arts

The music of James Bryce

James's work covers several genres: rock, folk, jazz, alternative, children's music, new music, MOR and free improvisation. He has written for theatre, radio, orchestral and chamber groups, and jazz combo. He continues to perform solo gigs both online and off, and is a regular with Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra,

Most of the compositions on this page are available by emailing James himself.

Five CDs of his solo work are available to buy from the shop page of this website.

Radio / TV Music

ComposerHopskip and Jump (50 programmes)dir: Monique Lockhart / Irene BainBBC Radio Scotland
SongsHopscotch (20 programmes)dir: Monique Lockhart / Irene BainBBC Radio Scotland
Song, theme tune,
arrangements
Zingalong (50 programmes) dir: Ishbel McLeanCeeBeebies
ComposerThe Magician's Daughterdir: Bruce YoungBBC Radio Scotland
ComposerLet them Call it Jazzdir: David Ian NevilleBBC Radio
Songs and
incidental music
The bar at the end of onlinedir: Keith HaldenBBC Radio

Theatre Music

2021-22
Company Production Director Function
Citadel Arts Group Leithers Adam Tompkins Composition of incidental music
2015-16
Company Production Director Function
Right Lines Rapid Departure Mark Saunders Music for songs
2014
Company Production Director Function
Pitlochry Festival Theatre Whisky Kisses John Durnin Composer
2012-13
Company Production Director Function
Alhambra Dunfermline Cinderella Liam Rudden Music
Arts in Motion A Sporting Chance Dave Smith Music
2011
Company Production Director Function
Brunton Theatre Aladdin Liam Rudden MD and incidental music
2010
Company Production Director Function
Right Lines Whisky Kisses Ian Grieve Composer
Brunton Theatre Mother Goose Liam Rudden MD and incidental music
2009
Company Production Director Function
Brunton Theatre Sinbad the Sailor Liam Rudden MD and incidental music
2008
Company Production Director Function
Brunton Theatre Sleeping Beauty Liam Rudden MD and incidental music
Arts in motion The Box it came in Dave Smith Music
Edinburgh Fringe Whisky Kisses Andrew Panton Composer
2006
Company Production Director Function
Perth Theatre Cinderella Iain Grieve Composer and MD
Benchtours Invisible man Pete Clarke Composer and MD
2005
Company Production Director Function
Perth Theatre Great Expectations Graham McLaren Co-composer and Co-MD
Perth Theatre Sleeping Beauty Iain Grieve Composer and MD
Benchtours Mayhem Pete Clerke Music and song settings
2004
Company Production Director Function
Edinburgh Royal Lyceum Sleeping Beauty Tony Cownie Musical Director
2002
Company Production Director Function
Brunton Musselburgh Midsummer Night's Dream David Mark Thomson Setting: Ye spotted snakes
2001
Company Production Director Function
Brunton Musselburgh Sleeping Beauty David Mark Thomson Incidental music
2000
Company Production Director Function
Benchtours Moon over Musselburgh Pete Clerke Songs / music: Ivan's Troika
Brunton Musselburgh Aladdin David Mark Thomson Incidental music
1995
Company Production Director Function
Edinburgh Royal Lyceum Caucasian Chalk Circle Gerard Murphy Some arrangements
1994
Company Production Director Function
Edinburgh Royal Lyceum Recruiting Officer Kenny Ireland Original music and song settings
1993
Company Production Director Function
Edinburgh Royal Lyceum School for Wives Ian Woolridge Incidental music
1991
Company Production Director Function
Edinburgh Royal Lyceum Comedians Ian Woolridge Song settings and arrangements
1987
Company Production Director Function
Loose Exchange Improbabilities Nigel Halon Incidental music
Loose Exchange Goats Nigel Halon Incidental music
1984
Company Production Director Function
Young Vic Murphy's Wisdom Lynne McVernon One original song
1981
Company Production Director Function
Cafe Encore, London Ella's Fella Kevin Williams Arrangements
1979
Company Production Director Function
Paines Plough Barricade John Adams Arrangements
1978
Company Production Director Function
Paines Plough Inuit John Adams Arrangements
Edinburgh Theatre Workshop A Spy Tale The company Songs
Edinburgh Theatre Workshop The Odyssey The company Some songs
1977
Company Production Director Function
Bolton Octagon As You Like It Felicity Taylor Shakespearean song settings and incidental music
Edinburgh Theatre Workshop Beowulf . Some song settings

Film Music

A Right Good Do

Parpi Films

Marvo and Doreen

Parpi Films

Jack and Zack

A rather Pinteresque short based on "Jack and Jill went up the hill"

Ten Minutes

A film based on the actions of three people in the ten minutes leading up to the silence on Remembrance Sunday

Maneater

A curious short tale on the theme of "pins in the voodoo doll" in which a woman takes revenge on her wayward lover by baking a cake in his likeness.

Compositions: solo works

Gilbert's Peace (for piano)

 

Invisible Waltz (for piano)

 

Piece for Bass Saxophone (11 mins)

Premiered in Edinburgh by Andreas van Zoelen (2000) and performed by David Brutti at the 2007 Ravenna Festival in Italy.
Excerpt.

Bert Finds his Dancing Feet (Almost) (5 mins)

For solo saxophone, this work was premiered 1997 in a version for clarinet by Claire Hollyoake. Performed several times in the saxophone version by Andreas van Zoelen (tenor sax) 1999 onwards.
Excerpt from the clarinet version

Compositions: chamber works

Prayer (for accordion, trumpet and cello)

 

Welcome! (3mins 45secs) (for Three Wagner Tubas and narrator. Words by Rumi)

First performed by Red Note on Noisy Nights at the City Halls, Glasgow 2014.

In Memoriam, J (3mins) (for 2 Cellos and Kurzweil synthesizer)

First performed by Red Note on Noisy Nights at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 2014.

Triumphal March (Nearly) (for trombone, electric guitar and drumkit)

First performed by Red Note on Noisy Nights at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 2013.

She waits in whispers  (5 mins) (for alto flute, viola, and contrabass)

First performed by Red Note on Noisy Nights at the City Halls Glasgow, 2013.

Performed by Richard and Ruth Beauchamp and Robin Mason at The Scottish Storytelling Centre, 2015, in a version for piano and two cellos

The Twisted Ladder (for trumpet, flute and cello: 4 mins 30 secs)

First performed by Red Note on Noisy Nights at the Travers Theatre, 2013.
Hear The Twisted Ladder...

*  (5 mins) (for bass saxophone and piano)

 

Invocation (5 mins) (for freebass accordion, violin, cello and tapes)

First performed by Red Note on Noisy Nights, Traverse Theatre, 2012

Fragment (4 mins) (for three cellos)

First performed on Noisy Nights at the Traverse Theatre, 2011
Hear Fragment...

The Octave (5 mins)(for electric guitar, electric violin and electric cello)

First performed on Noisy Nights at the Traverse Theatre, 2011
Hear The Octave...

La Muerta (5 mins)

A tango, first performed 2003 by Tango Volcano

Little Suite for Three Players (9 mins)

For piano, cello and lead instrument. Premiered 2000 by Alex and Hesther Owen-Hill and James Hill. Note: this piece is suitable for Grade 3 players and aboves

Perpetuum Mobile (3 mins)

For eight handbell players.
Excerpt (synthesised realisation)

Three Days

For bass saxophone and cor anglais.

Not Yet (5 mins)

Aleatoric piece for speaking voice and ensemble. Premiered at the Caithness summer School 1999

Quintette (15 mins)

For wind quintet.
Excerpt from 2nd movement (synthesised realisation)
Excerpt from 3rd movement (synthesised realisation)

Prayer for the Living (4 mins)

For sprechstimme and four trombones, this piece was premiered in Aberystwyth in 1997

Cloud Dance (5 mins)

For string quartet and two wind instruments

Compositions: orchestral works

Bert goes to the Funfair (20 mins)

For orchestra. Premiered at the Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh, March 17th 2013.

Fantasia on London Themes - version for orchestra

James's arrangement of London street songs was premiered by the Open Orchestra in March 2017.

Compositions: brass band

Fantasia on London Themes (10 mins)

James's brass band arrangement of London street songs was performed by the The Edinburgh Brass Band on 21st April 2018.

Compositions: choral

Four Odes After Rumi (16 mins)

For two choirs and three trombones. Ode No. 1 was premiered by the Maesbury singers 2000 in a version for solo choir and three trombones (SPNM shortlisted work - 2002/2003).
Excerpt from 1st movement (synthesised realisation)

Compositions: solo song settings

Will ye go to the Indies, My Mary

Words: Burns