The Gramophone Played (2021)
Instrumentation: cello, spoken word and fixed media electronics.
Duration: c. 10 minutes.
Performances: Madeleine Shapiro at New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival – NYCEMF – online.
The Gramophone Played is a response to Robert Macfarlane’s book The Old Ways and particularly its fictionalised account of the last months of the poet Edward Thomas’ life on the Western Front in 1917. Words by Macfarlane, 78 recordings mentioned in his text and two poems by Thomas serve as the basic materials of the piece.
Berceuse 1917 (2020)
Instrumentation: soprano and piano.
Duration: flexible with minimum length c. 100 seconds.
Performances: Anna Snow and Kate Ledger at the University of Surrey, Guildford (WP) as part of Composing the Historical 2, and York Late Music.
Berceuse 1917 takes materials from Robert Macfarlane’s book The Old Ways and particularly its fictionalised account of the last months of the poet Edward Thomas’ life on the Western Front in 1917. As the title alludes, Chopin’s eponymous piece provides (in fragmented form) all the material for the piano part.
Dance Maze: Variations for Piano (2017)
Duration: c. 12 minutes.
Performances: Jakob Fichert at the University of Surrey, Guildford (WP), and Tianjin Conservatory of Music, China.
Dance Maze is a group of three related pieces – Variations for Piano, Duos for Trumpet and Piano, Solos for Trumpet – consisting of revisions and re-workings of the solo piano piece Dance Maze premiered by Stephen Gutman in 1994 and in a revised version by Rob Keeley in 2009. Available on the CD Dance Maze.
Dance Maze: Solos for Trumpet (2017)
Duration: c. 19 minutes.
Performances: Simon Desbruslais (WP).
Solos for Trumpet is extracted from Duos for Trumpet and Piano; the part remains unchanged apart from some truncation of bars rest. Both pieces are part of the Dance Maze group but may be performed separately. Available on the CD Dance Maze (as a digital download only).
To the Measures Fall (2017)
Instrumentation: flute.
Duration: c. 15 minutes.
The flute part extracted from the original duo version (2006). Performable on modern or baroque flute.
Morning Music (2012-15)
Instrumentation: piano.
Duration: c. 14 minutes (complete).
Performances: Nichola Meecham at the Warehouse, London (WP complete version) and at Oxford Brookes, Salford, Bath Spa universities, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (lecture-recital tour of Aubade); Rob Keeley at Schott Music, London (Aubade). Available on the CD Dance Maze (Replay as digital download only).
A collection of four pieces: Limit, Trails, Aubade and Replay. Aubade can be performed separately or combined with any of the other pieces in any order.
Moto (2012-13)
Instrumentation: harpsichord and fixed media electronics.
Duration: c. 9 minutes.
Performances: Jane Chapman at York Spring Festival of New Music (WP), the University of Southampton, and the 2019 Borough New Music concert series.
Co-composed with Jeevan Rai who created the electronic component. The piece includes an optional improvised Prelude.
Envoi (2011)
Instrumentation: harpsichord.
Duration: flexible.
Performances: Jane Chapman at Kings College London Arts and Humanities Festival (WP).
Envoi is extracted from an abandoned music theatre work, Araxne. The score may be played as written, resulting in a brief miniature, or it may be extended through improvisation.
Capriccio (2008)
Instrumentation: piano.
Duration: c. 7 minutes.
Performances: Emilie Capulet at the Carmago Foundation, Cassis, France (WP); Clare Simmonds at the 2017 Borough New Music concert series.
A fragmentary, fantasy-like single movement drawing inspiration from the structure and certain harmonic features of Debussy’s Preludes and Scriabin’s late sonatas. Capriccio was performed by the Durufle Trio as an improvised arrangement for flute, viola and piano as part of the Richmond New Music Collective‘s 2016 programme.
Miscellany (2008)
Instrumentation: cello.
Duration: c. 12 minutes.
Performances: Lionel Handy (WP). An earlier version of the piece was premiered by Hannah Marshall at the Red Rose Club, London.
A suite of four pieces.
Opened Spaces (2007)
Instrumentation: baritone and piano.
Duration: c. 4 minutes.
Performances: Michael Solomon Williams and Melanie Jones at University of Manchester (WP); Paul Carey Jones and Ian Ryan at York Late Music Concert Series. Available on the CD Songs Now.
Two songs to poems by Jim Morris.
Melody (1999)
Instrumentation: piano.
Duration: c. 45 seconds.
Performances: Clive Williamson at the Warehouse, London, as part of the launch of the CD One Minute Wonders (Cadenza) (WP).
Commissioned by: Clive Williamson.
Part of a two volume collection of new pieces by emerging and established British composers.
Partita (1999)
Instrumentation: cor anglais and piano. A version for alto saxophone and piano is also available.
Duration: c. 9 minutes.
Performances: Julian West and Huw Watkins at the Warehouse, London (WP).
A pavane and galliard each with variations.
Aerial Dynamics (1996)
Instrumentation: soprano, clarinet and piano.
Duration: c. 12 minutes.
Performances: Victoria Armstrong, Guy Cowley and Philip Headlam (Continuum ensemble) at Regent Hall, London (WP); Victoria Armstrong, Elizabeth Drew and Richard Casey (New Music Players) at Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton; Catherine May, Vicky Wright and Lindy Tennent-Brown at the University of Surrey.
Four songs to poems by Emily Dickinson, Henry David Thoreau, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Gerard Manley Hopkins.