Works – Orchestral
Overture, Midsummer Morning
3 (Picc.) 3(Cor Ang.) 3(Bcl.) 3 (Cbsn.) 4, 3, 3, 1, Timp. 5 perc. Cel. Harp, strings
15 mins. (Music available from composer until further notice.)
First Performance: Royal College of Music, London – Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Metters 21st November 1991
Viola Concerto
1 (Picc.) 2, 2, 2, 2, 0, 0, Timp. Strings (5,4,3,2,1)
26 mins. (Music available from composer until further notice.)
First Performance: All Saints Church, Poplar, London – Soloist Martin Outram – Docklands Sinfonietta cond. Rupert Bond 5th June 1992
“Adam Gorb’s Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra, premiered by Martin Outram, seemed to stretch its boundaries as it progressed from an ambling Promenade to a sombre concluding Adagio. Gorb’s refined orchestration survived the resonant acoustic of All Saint’s, and his clear-headed eclecticism gave the piece a succession of musical references while rarely losing overall continuity.”
Nicholas Williams, The Independent, June 1992
Awayday 1996
Picc. 2, 2, 2 (in A), 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, Timp. 3 Perc. Strings
6 mins. (pub. Maecenas)
First Performance: Kendal Leisure Centre – Northern Junior Philharmonic Orchestra – Cond. Wayne Marshall 4th August 1999
Clarinet Concerto
Picc, 2 (Picc 2), 3, (Cor Ang.) E flat Cl. Solo Cl. Bcl. 2, Cbsn.
4, 3, 3, 1, 4 Perc. Harp, Accordian (obbligato), Strings
28 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – Soloist Nicholas Cox, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Vernon Handley 20th October 1999
“…a lively and eventful score… Would I care to hear Gorb’s concerto again? Definitely, yes.”
David Fanning, The Daily Telegraph, October 1999
“Gorb’s musical assuredness in his Clarinet Concerto shows in the way that he weaves and extends his thematic ideas over a considerable span of time…a valuable addition to the repertoire, and will repay repeated hearings.”
Ronald Weitzmann, Tempo, January 2000
Silk Impressions
2 (Picc) 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 1
Timp, 2 Perc. Strings
20 mins. (pub. Awayday)
First Performance: Heritage Centre, Macclesfield UK – King Edward Orchestra cond. Anthony Houghton
4th March 2006
Serenade for Spring
1 (Picc) 1, 1, 1, 2, 1 Perc 5 4 3 2 1
15 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
St. John – at Hampstead, Church Row, London – Hampstead and Highgate Festival Orchestra cond. George Vass
7th May 2008
“Alive with expectation and joyous use of the woodwind, Serenade for Spring was certainly a work to capture the imagination.”
Nicholas Williams, Hampstead and Highgate Express, May 2008
“… a light warm-weather repast, with three courses beginning in snow. The piece is sparingly orchestrated and elegantly devised… …the outcome sounded gentle and urban, but was articulate and clever.”
Kenneth Carter, www.classicalsource.com, May 2008
“…sweet and stylish…”
Paul Driver, Sunday Times, May 2008
A Celebration
Commissioned by the Northern Chamber Orchestra
Fl/picc, 2 ob, 2 bsn, 2 hn, Strings 5 4 3 2 1
18 mins. (Materials available from the composer.)
Heritage Centre, Macclesfield
Leader Nicholas Ward
12th April 2014
“The NCO rose to it wonderfully, and by the end were weaving a remarkable rich ‘symphonic’ tapestry…It had sentimentality, quirkiness, jollity, thoughtfulness and affection, often beautifully woven in bright orchestral colours.”
Robert Beale, Manchester Evening News, April 2014
In Solitude, For Company
3 (Picc) 3 (Cor Ang.) 2 (E Flat Cl.) Bcl. 2, Cbsn, 4,4,3,1, 3 Perc. Piano/Celeste, Harp, Strings
18 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: BBC Salford Media City, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Clark Rundell 26th January 2016