Born 1947 in Birmingham. Studied composition with Norman Demuth and Cornelius Cardew at Royal Academy of Music. Debuted in 1968 with premiere by Leonardo Ensemble at Wigmore Hall to warm reviews. I played in Scratch Orchestra & Promenade Theatre Orchestra writing many experimental works (1969-72). In 1991 'Unity' commissioned by Wise-Taylor Partnership for acclaimed exhibition at Slaughterhouse Gallery and shortly after I was composer-in-residence at Musicworks Brixton. I released the CD South of the River (1994). Concerts of my music were sponsored by Ronald Stevenson and the Edinburgh Society of Musicians, while in 2004 I was featured at Planet Tree Festival. Since 2008 there are regular premieres of my works in London New Wind Festival and Cornelius Cardew Concert Trust (CCCT) with broadcasts on Resonance FM. A piece of mine was requested by the Alkan Society (2021). My first release on Convivium Label was in 2020 (next release TBA), tracks of which were broadcasted on BBC Radio 3.

Hugh Shrapnel’s music has undergone many changes over the years from the experimentalism of his youth to the more broadly based music from the 1980s onwards. Shrapnel’s music is basically tonal and characterised by its lyricism, warmth, lively rhythms and explorative harmonies. It draws on many musical traditions both from Western classical to jazz and folk (particularly Irish folk). His music is widely varied in mood – often thoughtful, sometimes with elements of humour and irony. It is often inspired by place and community depicting people’s everyday lives and their struggles; much of his music reflects his deep love of nature.