Claire McCue: I Regret your Sex

Claire McCue (b. 1977) is a classically trained contemporary composer, collaborator and music educator born and based in Glasgow. Her music has been performed across the UK, as well as Internationally, and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Scotland. Claire also enjoys collaborative work and working with other artforms, particularly dance (having always danced as a hobby). She initiated collaborations with several choreographers on the BA Modern Ballet, creating works which were performed at RCS PLUG new music festival. McCue originally gained a first class BSc(hons) in Maths Statistics & Management science before returning to her passion for music. With support from the Ian McGlashan trust fund, she completed a BA in Applied Music, studying a range of subjects including piano, trombone and composition, and playing in the university orchestra and Big Band. She graduated with 1st class honours and was awarded the Alexander Stone award in her final year. Alongside composing, Claire is an active music educator interested in the Kodaly teaching approach for developing musicianship skills and specialising in early years and middle years education. 

I Regret your Sex, composed in 2018, is an unaccompanied SSA trio written for The Juice Ensembke which was commissioned by The Night With… Its provocative title comes from a 1949 rejection letter written to a highly qualified woman applying for a professional position with a company in Edinburgh. But, according to the composer, “It is not a feminist piece (whatever people make take that to be these days – perhaps some will still think it is… ). Of course it can relate to other fields, and my own questions/experiences at times which I doubt male counterparts would experience. However, for me it is more the playful telling of a story and current affairs, in a particular setting, which shows some of the issues for females are still very much in contention today, but also questions a few of the other issues arising around this for all genders, which I anticipate might make people think / generate some interesting discussion!” Read more about the work here.