Open-scored orchestra, 8 pre-recorded duets and sixteen speakers                                                                              15 minutes

PUBLIC DOMAIN WORK: DOWNLOAD FULL SCORE BELOW.

Orrery: Space Walk is a game. It is not designed to be perfected to any ‘performance standard’, nor is there a specific way that the work should sound: assumptions about performing ‘for the audience’, and the emphasis placed on absolute perfection due to this, should be entirely disregarded here. Instead, Orrery: Space Walk is designed to encourage orchestral players to find the joys in engaging with music purely for the sake of playing again: a fundamental facet of music making which is too often forgotten within the meritocracy of the Western Classical tradition. Those who participate are asked to consider carefully the semi-autonomy of each player, the even distribution of agency amongst the participating instrumentalists to shape this sonic encounter, and the efficacy held in destabilising assumed hierarchies within large musical ensembles. 

DOWNLOAD SCORE HERE                                                             REQUEST DUET AUDIOS HERE

NB: The Fragments: project has its own website: click here to access it!

Fragments: Liverpool, embraces locational identity and belonging as something that is constantly constructed, deconstructed, and radically altered, focusing on the collective past and present of the people of Liverpool, where I lived between 2022-2023. Taking the libretto of the ‘fragment book’ from public responses to the question ‘what aspects of Liverpool make you proud to live/ have lived here?’, these fragments exist in the constant potential of arrangements- collation of the fragments material into pieces that create imagined (or virtual, to use a Deleuzian term) connections between those who have chosen to partake in the project. Whilst I have composed and recorded all sixty of the current fragments, and curated both currently existing arrangements, this project is a collective one. Thus, anyone who wishes to may, at any time: answer the survey (remaining open online), compose their own fragments, re-record any fragment material, or create new arrangements. In short, the rights to this project remain, permanently, within the public domain. Please do get in touch if you would like to collaborate on the Fragments project!

FRAGMENTS LIBRARY (PDF)    ARRANGEMENTS SCORES (PDF)   REQUEST FRAGMENTS AUDIOS

SATB soloists and Piano                                                                                                                                           15 minutes

Composed for the JAM on the Marsh Composers' Residency 2024, 'Writing for Opera', and premiered July, 2024.

Derek Jarman's War Requiem (1989) integrates Benjamin Britten's piece by the same name (1962), Wilfred Owen's war poetry and real recorded footage of the Vietnam war, all within the same film: in short, the work constitutes a veritable miscellany of perspectives on what it means to be involved in conflict. However, it is important to consider the flaws in our collective memories of war: pristine prose produced by the highly-literate bourgeoise, representative of only a small fraction of those on the front lines, dominate our tangible records of historical conflicts, and too often the complex, distinctly human, reactions which war exposes are forgotten, replaced by dichotomised declarations of complete benevolence, countered by utter malignance. Thus, this opera explores Jarman's role in the perpetuation of this cycle of collective conflict remembrance, encouraging empathy with the deeply human side of the creative. Imagining encounters between WWI war Veterans, Jarman and soldiers throughout history, this work encourages audiences to consider whose perspectives get forgotten when we choose to remember them. The opera also questions the diverse ways in which conflict and heroism can manifest, drawing parallels between the bravery and terror of those facing the front line in WWI, and the echoing of such raw emotions in Jarman's own, courageous fight for recognition and justice as an openly gay man at the height of the AIDs pandemic.

PREVIEW SCORE HERE                    READ REVIEW HERE                 REQUEST SCORE HERE

SATB Choir [unaccompanied]                                                                                                                                      4 minutes

Commissioned by VOCE Chamber Choir, London, as a partner piece to Vally Weigl's 'Prayer for Peace', and premiered November, 2024.

Vally Weigl’s Prayer for Peace constitutes a musical plea for a more harmonious world. Whilst Weigl’s libretto holds a bold message of hope for the future, the piece never arrives at this perfect world, and the piece remains an eternal plea. Therefore, this setting of Christina Rossetti’s Dream Land answers Weigl’s plea, constituting a utopianist imagining of arrival at the peace that Weigl so hoped for. Rossetti’s Dream Land explicates that her protagonist reaches some kind of eternal rest by the end of the poem, but the nature of this peace is left ambiguous. Whilst the symbolism of the Nightingale in verse three, alongside Rossetti’s mention of a ‘Purple Land’ could imply the poem to be an analogy for peaceful death, this is never affirmed by Rossetti, and thus a multitude of interpretations exist as to the poem’s true meaning. Therefore, this setting of Dream Land incorporates this ambiguity of peace into its musical structure. Throughout the piece, the choir fluctuates between passages of complete musical cohesion, and passages of individual musical freedom. The piece culminates in a gradual musical divergence of the choir, emblematic of the many diverse interpretations of what it means to be truly at peace.

PREVIEW SCORE HERE             

Solo Soprano, Tenor and Piano                                                                                                                               5 minutes

Premiered March, 2024.

Christina Rossetti struggled greatly with hypochondria: despite reaching the considerable age of 64, she spent her life believing her death was imminent. Consequently, her prose carries a sense of urgency and desperation seldom matched by other authors. This setting of her poem, Echo, attempts to embody this passion.  

PREVIEW SCORE HERE                                                                                REQUEST SCORE HERE

SATB Choir and Organ                                                                                                                                               10 minutes

Composed for the Inter Alios Choir of Churchill College, Cambridge and premiered April, 2024.

PREVIEW SCORE HERE                                                                             REQUEST SCORE HERE

SSA Choir [unaccompanied]                                                                                                                                        3 minutes

Composed for the Inter Alios Choir of Churchill College, Cambridge and premiered in March, 2024.

The poem The Witch tells the tale of a mysterious woman, tired and weary from a long and arduous journey, and her plight to seek refuge within the confines of an unnamed other’s home: the haunting, repeated cry, ‘let me in at the door’ delineates this deliciously dark writing. Written by Victorian poet, Mary Elizabeth Coleridge, the sentiment behind this text has long been a means of contention within literary circles: some critics believe The Witch epitomises characteristically Victorian gender ideals, with the wayward female protagonist designed to strike fear and bewondermewnt into the reader, whilst others argue the short poem deserves recognition as a nuanced and highly satirical political commentary on the role of the domestic sphere, matrimony and gender within nineteenth-century England. Regardless of the chosen reading, Coleridge’s text provides an emotive and moving account of love, suffering and deceit, here set for SSA unaccompanied choir.

 PREVIEW SCORE HERE                                                                             REQUEST SCORE HERE

SATB Choir and Piano                                                                                                                                            5 minutes

The simple act of singing in a choir has the power to transform lives across the globe. Group singing can drastically reduce anxiety, provide a vital lifeline to people at vulnerable life stages, and even improve both mental and physical resilience: choirs provide a platform for community and belonging which remains completely unparalleled by other group activities. I Saw an Angel celebrates the monumental impact collective singing has on so many people. With uplifting libretto and a driving pulse, I Saw an Angel is a celebration of each and every person choosing to engage with this wonderful means of community. Due to the often eclectic range of events in which most choirs perform, I Saw an Angel is intended to be adaptable: its libretto and style is such that it can be performed in both secular and sacred contexts. A performance of the piece should last between three and four minutes, and is written for SATB choir and piano, with occasional divisi in the soprano and alto lines.  

 PREVIEW SCORE HERE                                                                             REQUEST SCORE HERE

Soloists, ensemble and band                                                                                                                                         1 hour

Composed for the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society, and premiered at the ADC theatre on the 15-18th November,2023.

'Beyond Today' follows Aoife Burke, a young woman in 1990s Ireland, who dreams of a peaceful life. With a long-standing conflict plaguing Aoife’s hometown, she’s always stuck with her own family: that is, until she meets Molly O’Keele – the daughter of her family’s nemesis. The pair keep their connection a secret, but it’s not long until people find out and, with tensions already high, chaos quickly ensues. How will the families react? Will Aoife and Molly ever get to be together? And, most importantly, will Aoife be able to stop the fight before more people get hurt?

WATCH THE UNOFFICIAL TAPING OF 18/11/23 HERE

Live SATB soloists, recorded SATB soloists, electronics                                                                                          5 minutes

Premiered March, 2022.

A study in madness uses Arthur Symon’s libretto to communicate an individual’s experience with madness, as inspired by Symon’s own struggle with insanity at the end of his life. The work combines live and recorded elements to create an immersive and oftentimes even uncomfortable experience. As the movements progress, the three elements (live choir, recorded choir, ambient sounds) of the work become increasingly intertwined, with the recorded choir closing the song set. This work aims to capture just one of the infinite numbers of lived experiences which exist within humankind.

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Soprano and Tenor soloists, chamber orchestra, live electronics                                                                            20 minutes Dorian: A Study in Vanity uses elements of Oscars Wilde’s writings in A Picture of Dorian Grey to create an operetta featuring solo tenor and offstage, electronically filtered soprano voice. Dorian aims to break down performance conventions, not just by placing the leading lady out of audience vision, but also by interspersing instrumentalists within the audience, made possible by new video technology. Dorian provides an immersive experience into the mind of Dorian Grey (Tenor), a handsome but vain man driven crazy by the pursuit of eternal beauty. As the opera progresses, Dorian’s obsession with preserving his youthful looks leads him into increasing moral turmoil, with the short opera ending in his tragic death.  

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Piano Trio, Voice and Electronics                                                                                                                               7 minutes

Composed for the Fidelio Trio and premiered in May, 2024.

The phenomenon of the Ignis Fatuus hangs in the balance between scientific reason and occult happenings. Translated literally from Latin to mean foolish fire, the Ignis Fatuus is most often characterised as a bright blue speck of light, akin to a flame, appearing to weary travellers traversing desolate marshlands at night, with the malevolent intent to lead such wanderers astray. For centuries, localised legends of the Ignis Fatuus have abounded across the British and Irish Isles: the Welsh Ellylldan, the Gaelic Teine Biorach and the Derbyshire Longdale Lights are but a few examples. While such folklore has flourished, those of a more scientific inclination have often tried to disprove such terrifying tales: Isaac Newton himself argued that the blue specks are simply a consequence of the methane and phosphine gases of the marsh reacting with the air. However, despite significant efforts, the phenomenon remains to be successfully replicated under laboratory conditions. Thus, to this day, the mysterious Ignis Fatuus evades certain explanation.

Ignis Fatuus: Song for the Misled embraces the enigmatic nature of the bewildering blue flames. Scored for The Fidelio Trio and spatialised vocal track, the work takes the concept of the misleadings and transforms them into a musical structure. Using the spoken word track- consisting of an eclectic mixture of excerpts from tales of the Ignis Fatuus from British and Irish folklore- as a guide, each member of the trio must make their own way through the fast-paced piece. However, each performer’s pathway will frequently bifurcate, or even trifurcate, and each player must choose which musical pathway to continue on, knowing not whether their chosen route will converge back to their original line, or simply stop, like a dead-end trail on a dark, dim marshland. Whilst the performers navigate their way through the work, and the spoken word track exhibits the eclectic nature of theories surrounding the Ignis Fatuus from the front of the performance venue, non-semantic vocal utterances dart around the audience, like the musings of the mischievous, elvish Ignis Fatuus.

As a consequence of the multiple pathways offered to each performer, Ignis Fatuus: Song for the Misled has a multitude of potential soundings, and it is unlikely that two performances will be the same. During the performance, the audience are encouraged to look around- and even walk around, if the performance venue permits- allowing themselves, much like the performers, to follow the voice. Those engaging with the work are also asked to consider the historical contextual pertinence of being led- or misled- by the musings of an upper voice.

           PREVIEW SCORE HERE                                           

Harp, Two Flutes, 31 Speakers and 32 Marbles                                                                                                        6-15 minutes

Premiered in June, 2024.

Garavogue, otherwise known as the Cailleach of Sliabh na Caillì, is a divine hag of ancient Irish mythology, a powerful figure responsible for the creation of beautiful landscapes. Garavogue wished to rule over Ireland and challenged St Patrick for the command of the nation: St Patrick agreed that if Garavogue could jump across all 4 summits of the Loughcrew Mountains (County Meath, Republic of Ireland), whilst holding the creation stones tucked into her apron, Ireland would be hers. Garavogue took the challenge, traversing the first 3 summits with ease, and dropping large stones from her apron onto the mountain tops as she jumped. However, as Garavogue leapt towards the final peak, the weight of her rocks overwhelmed her, and she stumbled, falling to her death just shy of the fourth hilltop, leaving Ireland under St Patrick’s rule. Today, the 31 cairns of the Loughcrew Mountains are considered by folklore to be the giant rocks that Garavogue dropped in her plight: the site has a rich patriotic history, having been used for centuries as a secret meeting place for those seeking to oppose the long-lasting British colonial directives.

A Study in Nostalgia: (Misremembrance) retells- or, rather, resounds- the legend of Garavogue. The work is divided into 31 sections, consistent with the 31 cairns of the Loughcrew Mountains. During a performance, the piece is played by the flautists and harpist in its chronological entirety: one might consider this the linear ‘retelling’ of the legend. However, each of the 31 sections also has a pre- recorded sample counterpart, identical to the live component. Before each performance, the audience are invited to cast 31 marbles, each one labelled between 1 and 31, onto a map of the Loughcrew cairns: the map (created by the composer) is designed in such a way that each marble should fall into a different small hole on the map, each one pertaining to a different cairn. The 31 speakers should be positioned to replicate the topological distribution of the cairns, with the electronic parameters of each speaker, and the number of times the sample that is sent to that speaker should repeat, dictated by the state of physical decay of the respective cairn. Each of the 31 samples should then be sent to the respective speaker, which their position on the map dictates, triggered to ‘resound’ directly after their respective live component, following the pre-determined electronic parameters and number of repeats. Therefore, the sounds of Garavogue will continue to resonate long after the live phenomenon has passed.

Observing the duality of resonance as both an acoustic and cultural phenomenon, folk idioms and small sections of folk melodies from the Republic of Ireland resound throughout A Study in Nostalgia: (Mis)remembrance. These resoundings appear in various degrees of distortion and completion, frequently warped through the use of unusual instrumental sonorities. The final marble, number 32, is not thrown by the audience, but rather used by the harpist in the live performance, exploiting new potentials for resonance through the contact of the marble with the strings of the harp. During each performance, the audience should walk freely around the speakers, observing the resonant pathway of resoundings which their actions have dictated. Considering the multiple resoundings of the work that the recasting of the marbles facilitates, audiences and performers alike are asked to consider the transformative efficacy that the collective remembrance, or misremembrance, of folklore can bear in the present, and our collective agency to determine whose stories we resound today. 

PREVIEW SCORE HERE                                                                             REQUEST SCORE HERE

Piano, Cello and Flute                                                                                                                                                6 minutes

Composed for the Marsyas Trio and premiered in February, 2024.

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Recorder, Viola da Gamba, Viola d'amore, and lighting                                                                                               5 minutes

Composed for Incantati Ensemble, and premiered in May, 2022.

KIC-8462858: A Study in Magic, written for trio Incantati, aims to create a multi-sensory experience from this star’s unusual light patterns. Written for the 7-string Viola d’amore, 7-string Viola da Gamba and tenor, descant and sopranino recorder, A Study in Magic combines the tones of instruments most common in Baroque repertoire, with modern compositional techniques, to evoke the sense of timeless wonder humankind has long experienced when considering the possibility of life beyond earth. The piece offers an immersive experience, aiming to engage the listener in a ‘magical’ performance which extends beyond the purely auditory.

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