The Parting Place
Chamber Opera
with librettist Sophia Chapadjiev
2022
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Sop, Ten, Bar, Bass | Cl, Hn, 2Vln
6'
Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artists' Programme
8 March 2022 - ROH JPYAP Artists & Casco Phil at St Pancras Station, London, UK
About the work
A site-specific micro-opera, where an audience in transit observe a fleeting private moment between a couple, as they themselves are on a journey.
Stars and their Consolations
Storytelling Theatre
with storytellers Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton
2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
2 Storytellers & Electronic Score
90'
Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival
2 July 2021 - Daniel Morden, Hugh Lupton & Sarah Lianne Lewis at Dinefwr, UK
About the work
Stars and their Consolations conjures up Greek myths of some of the most prominent constellations in our night sky, weaving storytelling and musical soundscape together as one.
The work has been presented in both a traditional theatre setting, and streaming live through silent disco headphones in the night open air.
""Lewis' instrumental compositions served as a sonic backdrop... Atop a hill we listened via headphones, akin to a silent disco - the intimacy added to the performance's gravity and grandeur." - Buzz Mag
Cynefin
Dance Theatre
with choreographer Anna ap Robert
2020
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Dancers & Electronic Score
40'
Ty Cerdd & Hijinx Theatre through Ty Cerdd's CoDI:Move programme
Cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic.
About the work
Created in collaboration with Hijinx Mid-Wales Academy actors, 'Cynefin' explores themes of community, belonging and home.
A Son to the Slaughter
Chamber Opera
with librettist Max Hoehn
2015
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
C-Ten, Ten, Bass | Hn, Perc, Pno, Vcl
13'
Written through Jerwood Opera Writing Programme 2014-15
17 Sept 2015 at Snape Maltings, UK
About the work
A short chamber opera, written as the culmination of Aldeburgh Music's Jerwood Opera Writing Programme 2014-15, 'A Son to the Slaughter' retells the story of Abraham and Isaac.
ORCHESTRA
L'Île des jamais trop tard
(The Island of Never Too Late)
A symphonic tale for Narrator, Solo Piano & Orchestra
with author Stéphane Michaka
2022-23
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
2(=Picc).2(=C.A.).2.2 - 2.2.0.0 - timp & perc - pno - strings, female narrator
50'
Consortium Créatif & BBC National Orchestra of Wales, in collaboration with the Seine Musicale, Paris.
10 Mar 2023 - l'Orchestre National de Bretagne (cond. Grant Llewelyn), with Vanessa Wagner (piano) and Céline Milliat-Baumgartner (actress), at Theatre National de Bretagne, Rennes, FRANCE
About the work
Both musical tale and animal fable, ‘L’Île des jamais trop tard’ (‘The Island of Never Too Late’) plunges the audience into the mind of a young girl facing an imminent climate threat to her home. A piano, a symphonic orchestra, and an actress come together to tell this story; one that is not so far away from reality, to reflect on the issues and pave a way for the future.
On an island in the North Atlantic, Lise is ten years old, and collects polar animals made homeless by the melting ice caps. Polar bears, penguins, sled dogs, and seals - these beasts all have a story to share. They advocate the cause of the endangered Arctic inhabitants, and warn Lise - if the ice melts further, her island may be in danger too. Lise must set out on an adventure to find the animals a safe new home, and to help the islanders face the threat of the rising waters.
‘L’Île des jamais trop tard’ (‘The Island of Never Too Late’) is suitable for children ages 7 years old and above. The work was commissioned by the Consortium Créatif and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, in collaboration with the Seine Musicale. The Consortium Créatif brings together 5 orchestras (l'Orchestre National de Bretagne, l'Orchestre national Avignon-Provence, l'Orchestre national de Cannes, l'Orchestre de Picardie and l'Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse) to work for the dissemination and defence of contemporary creation.
"Alternating tonality, atonality, polytonality, rhythmic passages and evanescent episodes, it creates graceful moments for Vanessa Wagner's piano, both alone and with the orchestra" - ResMusica
Tourmaline
String Orchestra and Percussion
2022
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Vln's [4 parts], Vla's [2 parts], Vcl's [2 parts], Db's - 2perc
7'
BBC Radio 3 for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
22 Sep 2022 - BBC NOW (cond. Jac van Steen) at Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, UK
About the work
A highly energetic piece that takes inspiration from the mainstream genre of electronic dance music. Moving through different textures as themes build and tumble apart, this work is a joyous sprint through an off-kilter landscape, delighting in the versatility of acoustic strings, whilst maintaining the loud visceral impact of the genre that inspired it.
"It had charm and gusto" - Buzz Mag
"Positively catchy" - Seen and Heard International
Creatures of Dust and Dreams
Symphony Orchestra
2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
3(=Picc).3(=CA).3(=BCl).3(=CBsn) - 4.3.3.1 - timp - 2perc - hp - strings
11'
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
10 Dec 2021 - BBC NOW (cond. Finnegan Downie Dear) at Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, UK
About the work
A playful exuberant piece, reflecting on our human frailty, of falling and failing, and reaching out and growing together.
"Brash and buoyant" - The Guardian
"Exuberant and spiralling" - Colin's Column
"whirling... luminous... rhapsodic" - Seen and Heard International
The sky didn't fall
Symphony Orchestra
2019 / 2023
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
2.2.2.2 - 4.2.2.1 - 2perc - hp - strings
7'
Written through RSNO's Composer Hub 2018-19
Please contact composer if you would like to premiere this work.
About the work
Taking inspiration from the opening lines of Kerry Hardie’s poem, 'After My Father Died', 'The sky didn't fall' creates an atmosphere of of increasing unease and heaviness.
mind the gap
Chamber Orchestra OR Sinfonietta Ensemble
2018 / 2021
Forces:
Chamber Orchestra: 1.0.1(=BCl).1(=CBsn) - 0.1.1.0. - 1perc. - hp - strings
Sinfonietta: 1.0.1(=BCl).1(=CBsn) - 0.1.1.0. - perc. - hp - 2Vln, Vla, Vcl, Db.
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
6'
UPROAR Ensemble
Sinfonietta Version: 26 Oct 2018 - UPROAR Ensemble at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, UK
Orchestral Version: 19 Nov 2021 - BBC National Orchestra of Wales (online stream)
About the work
‘mind the gap’ is an energetic and noisy piece, inspired by a series of field recordings taken around the London underground system in January 2017.
"Transported the ear to a world of its own" - The Guardian
Is there no seeker of dreams that were?
Symphony Orchestra
2016 / 2018
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
3.3.3.3 - 4.3.3.1 - timp - 3perc - pno - hp - strings
11'
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
4 Mar 2016 - BBC National Orchestra of Wales (cond. Tecwyn Evans), Bangor, UK
About the work
Inspired by Cale Young Rice's poem 'New Dreams for Old', the work explores the journey through the poem of loss and grief, images of forgotten and discarded dreams, and finally towards hope.
"... a transgressive few minutes, with an eerie ambience" - Weeping Tudor Productions
"an emotionally engaged lament" - Seen and Heard International
From These Roots We Rise
Large Orchestra - Flexible forces (appropriate for children)
2014
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Flexible forces - please check with composer
5'
Herne Hill Festival
18 Oct 2014 - London Contemporary Chamber Orchestra & the Lambeth Music Services, London, UK
About the work
Commissioned by the Herne Hill Festival, ‘From These Roots We Rise’ was influenced by memories of local music services and the nurture, camaraderie and inspiration from years of performing in orchestras and choirs. The music is appropriate for young learners and Grade 2+ musicians.
Chiaroscuro
Symphony Orchestra
2011 / 2012
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
3.3.3.3 - 4.3.3.1 - timp - 3perc - pno - hp - strings
6'
None
2 Feb 2012 - BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, UK
About the work
'Chiaroscuro' explores the light and shade of the night sky, and is full of dense material and complex orchestral harmonies. The small melodic fragments hidden in the texture resemble those elusive stars, invisible in the city sky.
LARGE ENSEMBLE (7+)
a soul is more than a body is more than a number is more than
Chamber Ensemble
2020 / 2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
fl, cl, tpt, 1perc, pno, acc, vln, vcl, db
12'
Ensemble Télémaque
16 Oct 2021 by Ensemble Télémaque, Marseille, FRANCE
About the work
‘A soul is more than a body is more than a number is more than’ is a reaction and reflection on the government's managing of the Covid-19 pandemic. The piece was written with all those in mind who became one of the vast numbers; each was than their body in which they are carried, they were more than a number on a piece of paper.
"... a dazzling start [with] its menacing percussion and double bass ostinato" - Zibeline
we watch it burn
Chamber Ensemble & Live Electronics
2020
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
fl, cl, tpt, 1perc, pno, acc, vln, vcl, db
12'
Ensemble Télémaque
16 Oct 2021 by Ensemble Télémaque, Marseille, FRANCE
About the work
With its title taken from Greta Thunberg's speech to the World Economic Forum in 2019, 'we watch it burn' explores our collective reaction to climate change, using live electronics to loop and manipulate the musicians' material to create sounds of the climate emergency.
the blue and the dim and the dark
Double String Quartet
2019
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
4vln, 2vla, 2vcl
10'
Written for the Lucerne Festival Composers' Academy 2019
1 Sep 2019 by JACK & Mivos Quartets, Lucerne Kunstmuseum, SWITZERLAND
About the work
The material for this double string quartet is taken from several recordings of local birdsong, lightly manipulated to create pitches and rhythms, against the fleetingness of the gloaming.
Sunflowers in Autumn
Chamber Octet
2019
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
cl, bsn, hn, 2vln, vla, vcl, db
6' - 10'
Ty Cerdd & Berkeley Ensemble through Ty Cerdd's CoDI:Chamber programme
9 Apr 2019 - The Berkeley Ensemble, Cardiff, UK
About the work
Exploring the notion of a forgotten memory, 'Sunflowers in Autumn' meanders gently though a journey of remembering, much like the hazy golden evenings of Summer.
"... ethereal and haunting..." - Musical Opinion
"the players’ quiet whistling added an intriguing extra texture" - The Guardian
Train Tracks
Saxophone Choir
2013
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
SAATB Saxophone Choir
13'
Written through Making Music's Adopt a Composer scheme
29 Jun 2013 - Bristol Saxophone Ensemble, Bristol, UK
About the work
Written in collaboration with the Bristol Saxophone Ensemble, 'Train Tracks' has four short movements, each depicting a snapshot of a typical morning commuter train journey. The music is appropriate for Grade 4+ musicians.
SMALL ENSEMBLE (<6)
glitch
Wind Quintet
2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
fl, ob, cl, hn, bsn
5'
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
None finalised yet.
About the work
‘glitch’ takes its starting material from a well-known Welsh folk-song; ‘Ffarwel i Aberystwyth’. The The melody is not heard in its entirety throughout the piece; the fragments of melody becoming indistinguishable from the overriding glitching jumps and rhythms as the piece progresses.
first snow, falling
String Quartet
2018
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
fl, ob, cl, hn, bsn
5'
Written for the CeNM@S Composer Workshop 2018
Please contact composer if you would like to premiere this work.
About the work
This piece reflects on time passing, and the watching of - and our perception of - time and circumstance change.
Blossoms in bloom are also falling blossoms
String Quartet with Tibetan Bowls
2017
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
2vln, vla, vcl + 4 Tibetan bowls (please contact composer for options to hire the bowls)
20'
Written through Sound and Music's Embedded: Composers' Kitchen 2017
26 Oct 2017 - Quatuor Bozzini, Aberdeen, UK
About the work
Through the small, repetitive and slowly spiralling gestures, the work invites the audience to be still and listen to their own space within the wider world.
of lines and traces
Piano Trio
2017
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
pro, vln, vcl
13'
Bangor Music Festival
18 Feb 2017 - The Fidelio Trio, Pontio Bangor, UK
About the work
Conceived in three movements, the impetus for 'of lines and traces' came from the concept of architectural drawings; the clean lines, the white space and the mechanical nature of the measurements.
to slumber but not sleep
Chamber Trio
2017
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
a.sax, acc, db
10'
Written for Time in Music's Composer Academy 2017
9 Jul 2017 - POING Trio, Viitasaari, FINLAND
About the work
'to slumber but not sleep' explores the notion of memories in sleep, shifting and distorting at that point where a person is between wakefulness and deep sleep, where thought patterns are often disjointed.
Of Coal and Stars
String Trio
2016
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
vln, vla, vcl
12'
Written for Heidelberg Music Festival 2016
23 Apr 2016 - Isang Enders & Heidelberg Festival String Masterclass students, Heidelberg, GERMANY
About the work
Inspired by Bach’s Goldberg Variations, 'Of Coal and Stars' focuses on the ornamentation present in the Aria, taking the patterns and twisting them, placing them within a static and sustained environment, where they become the trigger for movement within the piece.
Shadow Play
Chamber Ensemble
2013
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
cl, bsn, hn, vcl
5'
Written as part of the Scottish Composition Marathon 2014
24 Mar 2013 - Daniel's Beard, Glasgow, UK
About the work
The piece explores the space created by light and shadows, and the sense of unease that an unexpected shadow creates.
Those Echoes Around
Brass Quintet
2012
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
2tpt, 2tbn, tba OR 2tpt, hn, euph, tbn
7'
Cardiff New Brass Festival
11 Jun 2011 - Wormshead Top Brass, Cardiff, UK
About the work
'Those Echoes Around' was composed specifically with the Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral in mind; the sustained notes and repetitive motifs in the piece linger as the new material emerges quietly from the reverberations.
Different Pathways
Saxophone Quartet
2010
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
s.sax, a.sax, t.sax, b.sax
4'
None
19 Apr 2010 - Lunar Saxophone Quartet, Rhos-y-Gilwen, UK
About the work
Consisting of three 45-bar miniature 'movements', 'Different Pathways' explores a particular style and technique within each miniature.
Perpetual Motion
Six Pianos
2010 / 2011
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
6 pianos OR 6 keyboards / synths
6'
None
16 Apr 2011 - PianoCircus, Drefach, UK
About the work
Taking inspiration from minimalist and post-minimalist music, 'Perpetual Motion' is exactly what the title suggests. The constant movement is inspired by a particular train journey home across Wales. The train speeds along, the landscapes subtly change through the windows and, on especially sunny days, the light and suggestion of colours can be seen in dappled effect on the insides of one’s eyes when closed.
SOLO & DUO
The calligraphy of birds I
Solo Violin
2022
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
vln
3'
N/A
Please contact the composer if you would like to premiere this work.
Ocean of Stars
Cello & Digital Harp
2022
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
vcl, digital hp
5'
Drake Music Scotland & Hebrides Ensemble
14 Jun 2022 - William Conway & Rhona Smith, Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, UK
if the earth forgets you
Duo - Open Instrumentation
2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
open instrumentation
7' - 12'
Blank Space Ensemble
1 Dec 2021 by Blank Space Ensemble (online premiere)
About the work
Taking inspiration from Rainer Maria Rilke’s ‘Sonnets to Orpheus’, this work encourage a freedom of expression and improvisation from the performers, as they navigate within each other’s performing spaces.
The Tapestry of Dreams
Solo Classical Guitar
2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
solo classical guitar
7'
International Guitar Foundation
23 Oct 2021 - Emanuele Addis, Kings Place, London, UK
About the work
'The Tapestry of Dreams' explores the rich sonorities of the lower guitar strings, and places these fragments of low melodies against the light percussiveness of harmonics on the higher guitar strings.
Voicing the silence
Solo Piano
2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
solo piano (with vocalisation)
7'
MusicFest Aberystwyth
27 Jul 2021 - Yshani Perinpanayagam, Great Hall, Aberystwyth, UK
About the work
No silence is ever truly silent, but a deep quiet does help our ears focus on the small indeterminate sounds that are woven, usually unnoticed, into the tapestry of our environment. ‘Voicing the silence’ explores these small sounds, giving voice to them as they grow.
Four Pieces for Piano
Solo Piano
2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
solo piano
10'
Cowbridge Music Festival
10 Oct 2021 - Luke Jones, Cowbridge, UK
About the work
The initial building blocks for this work came from a series of stacked chords; through the course of the four movements, this series of chords is taken apart, and fitted back together in multiple different ways like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. In this way, each short movement has its own unique sound world, but is intrinsically linked to the others in the overall work, thereby creating a collection of pieces that may be performed as one larger work, or performed individually.
Weathering
Solo Viola
2020
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
solo viola
12'
Laura Sinnerton
Please contact the composer if you would like to premiere this work.
About the work
‘Weathering’ was written during the Spring of 2020, during the initial lockdown due to Covid-19. What began as a reflection on the withstanding of a storm gradually evolved into the reflection on how the act of weathering can create something new; an object being worn down through prolonged intense pressure, but one that will expose a new and often beautiful form as a result.
Apart we are not alone
Solo Stringed Instrument
2020
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
any solo orchestral stringed instrument (vln OR vla OR vcl OR db)
4'
Written for Fenella Humphreys
21 May 2020 by Fenella Humphreys (online stream)
About the work
In our own rooms, isolated in our spaces, the silence has a presence unnoticed before. We hear our own breath. In. Out. In. And in that moment we catch the sound of laughter on the breeze.
'Apart we are not alone' is a partner piece to 'Together Apart'. The pieces can be performed by a solo musician, or played simultaneously by a group of musicians, the two miniatures layered and repeated, looping in and out of one another.
Together Apart
Solo Stringed Instrument
2020
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
any solo orchestral stringed instrument (vln OR vla OR vcl OR db)
1'
BBC Radio 3
21 May 2020 by Lesley Hatfield (online broadcast)
About the work
Even on what was once the busiest main road, the clarity of birdsong can be heard on the Spring breeze. We were busy, noisy. Now we are still.
Now we listen. We listen to our environment as if it were new.
We discover new sounds, we recognise the creatures that habitually visit our spaces, ones we did not recognise before. We hear their calls, we learn their behaviours. We realise that we are not alone in this world. We are not isolated. Whilst we may at a moment be distant, we are still journeying towards together.
‘Together Apart’ was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, as a postcard of hope in these unusual times.
'Together Apart' is a partner piece to 'Apart we are not alone'. The pieces can be performed by a solo musician, or played simultaneously by a group of musicians, the two miniatures layered and repeated, looping in and out of one another.
Salt-Starred Waters
Solo Flute
2020
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
solo flute
5'
Nevis Ensemble
8 Nov 2020 - Gabriela Jaros, BBC Radio Scotland (online broadcast)
About the work
Inspired by memories from Kim McAllister, ‘Salt-Starred Waters’ explores the sounds, the smells, the taste of the sea air, and the shifting colours of the coastal waters around Scotland.
(re) -
Solo Marimba & Electronics
with Laurent Mariusse (marimba) & Pierre Fleurence (electronics)
2019
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
solo marimba & electronics
8' - 15'
gmem CNCM Marseille
15 May 2019 - Laurent Mariusse, Temple Grignan, Marseille, FRANCE
About the work
react. refine. rewrite. reimagine. recede. remain.
(re)- sets out a collection of musical cells, with which the musician interacts and chooses how to respond, building and retracting layers of sound.
Until the thread breaks
Violin & Piano
2018
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
violin & piano
13'
Rhyl Music Club
9 Jan 2019 - Mary Hofman & Richard Ormrod, Rhyl, UK
About the work
'Until the thread breaks' takes its title from a phrase Beethoven wrote in his Heiligenstadt Testament to his brothers, a letter he wrote in 1802 around the same time as he composed his Violin Sonata No.7 in C Minor (Op.30, No.2), where he laments the loss of his hearing. ‘Until the thread breaks’ explores the emotional attachment we have to something that we often – particularly as musicians – take for granted. Over the course of the last few minutes of the piece, the violin line stretches increasingly higher in pitch, playing harmonics, which – given their position on the string, position of audience, and how an audience member’s own hearing health may be, may or may not be clearly heard by all.
I have observed the most distant planet to have a triple form
Piano 4-Hands
2016
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Piano 4-Hands (2 pianists)
6' (extracts - whole work as yet unfinished)
Written for the Cheltenham Composers' Academy 2016
12 Jun 2016 - MANTRAS Piano Duo, Cheltenham, UK (extracts)
About the work
Taking the title from the anagram used by astronomer Galileo when he discovered the rings of Saturn in 1610, ‘smaismrmilmepoetaleumibunenugttauiras’ (‘Altissimum planetam tergeminum observavi’, or ‘I have observed the most distant planet to have a triple form’), the tempo, duration, and sounding pitches of each movement are dictated by individual moons’ data (revolution around Saturn, diameter of the moon, individual moons’ mass).
Mesmer
Solo Harp
2012
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
solo harp
5'
Young Music Makers of Dyfed
4 Jun 2012 - Nest Jenkins, St David's Cathedral Festival, St David's, UK
About the work
‘Mesmer’ is a piece celebrating the small beauties around us. The music cycles between the use of slow harmonics and detailed passagework, reminiscent of sunlight creating a dappled effect in an area of woodland. The intricate motifs that repeat through the piece reflect the sunlight shining through a gap in the trees, suddenly illuminating the dust motes drifting in the air, moving in mesmerizing slow motion with the breeze, to be obscured once more as the sun disappears behind the cloud.
VOICE
Three Bird Songs
Baritone & Piano
2022
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
baritone & piano
9'
Welsh Music Guild
TBA
About the work
'Three Bird Songs', written for Baritone Jeremy Huw Williams, uses three poems by the Welsh poet W.H. Davies, and explores the different natures of common birds.
Clychau
High voice & Piano Trio
2020
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
high voice (soprano / mezzo-soprano or tenor), pno, vln, vcl
5'
Wales International Piano Festival
16 Oct 2021 - Alys Roberts & the Beethoven Archduke Trio (online stream)
About the work
'Clychau' is a reworking of the traditional Welsh folk song 'Clychau Aberdyfi', with the singer’s melody emerging against a quietly shifting backdrop of waves and sunken bells. As the song progresses, the bells begin to ring clearer and brighter, with the musicians interacting with the singer more, and - as the fourth and final verse begins - creating counter-melodies that evoke the Welsh tradition of cerdd dant.
You are the lonely bird
Mezzo-Soprano & Piano
2019 / 2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
mezzo-soprano & piano
5'
Written for the Wild Plum Songbook workshop 2019
2 Oct 2021 - Jessica Summers & Jelena Makarova, Nottingham, UK
About the work
‘You are the lonely bird’ uses text from the 8th Century Irish Gaelic poem ‘Donal Og’, translated by Irish writer and playwright Lady Augusta Gregory (1852-1932). The musical material reflects the mix of past and present tenses used by the author (‘it is late last night...’) and the balance of presence / absence on the part of the loved one, intertwining material already heard and that which has not yet been heard fully, to create a sense of swirling memories.
I dared say it to the sky
Soprano & Percussion
2016
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Soprano & Percussion [Crotales, Vibraphone, Suspended Cymbal, Bass Drum]
13'
Heidelberg Music Festival
9 Apr 2016 - Sarah Maria Sun & Johannes Fischer, Heidelberg, GERMANY
About the work
‘I dared say it to the sky’ sets three poems from ‘Das Knaben Wunderhorn’, which explore the theme of the natural world, and a person’s need to find solitude, which is disturbed by even the smallest of sounds of nature, such as birdsong and the wind.
Relativity and Revelation
Mezzo-Soprano, Piano & 2 Tibetan bowls
2015
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Mezzo-Soprano, Piano & 2 Tibetan bowls
13'
Festival d'Aix-en-Provence Academie 2015
9 Jul 2015 - Reut Ventorero & Thomas Besnard, Aix-en-Provence, FRANCE
About the work
'Relativity and Revelation' is a song cycle for mezzo-soprano, piano and two singing bowls, setting poems by American poet J.L. Williams alongside translated traditional Japanese tanka - haiku. The juxtaposition of the stillness and serenity of the heron against the innate complexities of our human interactions, becomes a reflection on our fragile existence in the natural world.
Although you sit in a room that is gray
Baritone & Piano
2013 / 2015
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Baritone & Piano
4'
None
17 Jul 2015 - Laurent Deleiul & Bianca Chillemi, Aix-en-Provence, FRANCE
About the work
Inspired by Wallace Stephen’s poem ‘Gray Room’, ‘Although you sit in a room that is gray’ explores the space between the performers, the singer and pianist existing in a frozen moment; separate from each other, yet inextricably linked; the singer observing the pianist, as if from a distance.
Dim Light, Bright White
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contrabass Paetzold Recorder & Electronics
2014
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano,Contrabass Paetzold Recorder & Electronics
10'
Written for ENOA's Composition Workshop (Voice & Electronics)
5 Dec 2014 - Silbersee Opera, Tom Beets & Wouter Snoei, Ghent, BELGIUM
About the work
Within ‘Dim Light, Bright White’, the two voices represent a singular person, exploring the interaction between the outer facade of a person, which the world views, and their inner thoughts. The recorder's fragmented melodies and sustained, wavering lines aid the feel of instability within the piece as thoughts weave and overwhelm.
Clericus et Nonna
SSA Voices
2014
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Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
SSA Voices a cappella
8'
Written through Sound and Music's Portfolio programme with juice vocal ensemble
31 Jan 2014 by juice vocal ensemble, London, UK
About the work
Taken from the 12th Century collection of ‘Cambridge Songs’, the text for ‘Clericus et Nonna’ has been largely erased due to the content being deemed inappropriate for its time. The text slowly emerges through the piece, obscured by hissing - reminiscent of radio static - reflecting the censored portions of the poem, with the occasional and fragmented harmonies reminding us of the work’s origin.
New Dreams for Old
Soprano & Piano
2013
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Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
Soprano & Piano
5'
Written through the Aldeburgh English Song Project 2013
5 Dec 2013 - Rosalind Coad & Charis Cheung, London, UK
About the work
"New Dreams for Old" is based on a poem of the same name written by American poet and dramatist Cale Young Rice (1872-1943).
Summer
Solo Soprano voice
2012
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Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
solo Soprano
2'
Written for the St Magnus Composers' Course 2012
8 Sep 2018 - Claire Trouillard, Royaumont, FRANCE
About the work
With text from Benjamin Morris' poem 'Quadrille: Beirut, 1982', 'Summer' explores the calm before an unexpected storm... The heightened awareness only realised later in reflection of events, and the importance of the small details.
CHOIR
All my ships are white
SATB Choir
2022
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Duration:
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World Premiere:
SATB Choir a cappella
6'
Royal Philharmonic Society (through the RPS Composers' Programme 2021-22)
2 Jul 2022 - Royal Northern Sinfonia, Newcastle, UK
About the work
Using text from Virginia Woolf's 'The Waves', 'All my ships are white' explores themes of adventure, daydreams and curiosity.
Hope is the thing with feathers
4-Part Choir
2021
Forces:
Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
4-Part Choir (suitable for children's voices) with piano
2'
None
Please contact the composer if you would like to premiere this work.
About the work
With text by Emily Dickinson, 'Hope is the thing with feathers' is a simple choral piece, imagined as a 4-part round. The music is suitable for amateur choral groups and children's voices.
Réminiscence
SATB Choir
2017
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Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
SATB Choir a cappella (with divisions throughout)
2'
Written for TENSO's Young Composer Workshop 2016-17
Please contact the composer if you would like to premiere this work.
About the work
The text is taken from a poem titled ‘Réminiscence’ by the little-known French war poet Albert-Paul Granier; the depictions of the bleak weather in the trenches are contrasted with his vivid memories of golden Sunday afternoons spent listening to an orchestral concert.
Kyrie Eleison
SATB Choir
2012
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Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
SATB Choir a cappella
4'
None
7 Dec 2015 - Cardiff University Contemporary Music Group, Cardiff, UK
About the work
Kyrie Eleison focuses on simplicity, allow the meaning of the sung words to be apparent, with the sustained dissonances and brief resolutions carrying the emotion of the work.
Ave Maria
SSA Choir OR TTB Choir
2008
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Duration:
Commissioner:
World Premiere:
SSA Choir OR TTB Choir with piano / tuned bell
5'
None
19 Apr 2008 - Electric Voice Theatre, Cardigan, UK