Impressions of David Horne

Extract

David Horne is one of the most interesting – and so far under-rated – Scottish composers writing today. Since 1989 he has based himself in Philadelphia, which has inevitably led to lack of exposure here. On the other hand, his departure from the British contemporary music ‘scene’, may in some ways have secured the creative development of a very special talent. The British musical establishment suffers from occasional bouts of the Paul Gascoigne syndrome: a promising young talent is fussed over, exploited, drained and then abandoned. Home has not only avoided this, but also planted a flag of independence and distance, which may be no bad thing.