Words on music – and more

Peter Giles is the author of many books, articles, scores and one novel, with another due to be completed during 2021. His books on the countertenor voice have become acknowledged standard works of reference. He also wrote the sections on ‘Countertenor’ and ‘Falsetto’ for the Millennium edition of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

In addition to his books Peter contributes articles on the voice and writes reviews, sleeve notes and CD inserts and booklets. He has scored many arrangements for voices, usually for unaccompanied small ensembles. A number of these, for alto, tenor and bass, were issued by Thames Publishing (now Elkin) in the 1995 collection Three Men’s Song. Peter’s Stabat Mater was published in two versions – alto/tenor/bass and two sopranos/alto – by Oecumuse in 1986.

Peter Giles’s published non-fiction works include:

The Counter-Tenor (Frederick Muller, 1982; including drawings and graphic diagrams by Peter Giles).

The History and Technique of the Counter-Tenor (Scolar Press/Ashgate, 1984; including drawings and graphic diagrams by PG).

A Basic Countertenor Method (Thames Publishing, 1987; including drawings and graphic diagrams by PG).

Les Contretenors: Mythes & Réalitiés (Harmonia Mundi, 1999; hardback book including 2 CDs, contents selected by PG).

A Basic Countertenor Method for Teacher and Student (Kahn & Averill, 2005; revised and expanded; including drawings and graphic diagrams by PG).

Der Countertenor Die männliche Falsettstimme vom Mittelalter zur Gegen wart (Schott, 2012; based on the 2009 conference in the Katholischen Akademie in Schwerte, Köln: essays by the various speakers – authorities on the male high voice, opening with PG on the English tradition).

Most of these publications can be found online via outlets such as www.bookdepository.co.uk, www.amazon.co.uk and www.barnesandnoble.com. Rare, mint-condition copies of the first edition of A Basic Counter-Tenor Method are available from the author at a price of £14.95 plus p. & p.  Click here  to enquire.

Published fiction:

A Monster Unto Many (Novel) (Frederick Muller, 1980).

Fiction in progress:

A Man that Looks on Glass (Completion anticipated 2021)

Some of Peter Giles’s editing work:

CLARION CALL (Six-monthly magazine of the CTCC). Editor, frequent contributor and co-typographical designer, 2013 -2017.

BULLETIN (forerunner of CLARION CALL). 1997 – 2011. Articles.

The Musical Pickleman’s Tale by Tony Hickson (Haque & Co. Ltd, 2008: autobiography; author’s editor PG).