This piece depicts the view from the top of the valley where my parents live in Cornwall.
The premiere concert took place at The Stoller Hall, conducted by Brinsley and performed by the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra.
The piece envisions a journey f from the beautiful pink setting of the sun as nature goes to sleep to a night where warm fires glow. People are merry—singing, dancing, and feasting—while the land remains serene.
I was influenced by Japanese jazz fusion composers such as Yuji Ohno and Takahiro Obata, who emulate Hans Zimmer’s fusion of technology, classical orchestration, and modal/quartal tonalities from traditional Japanese instruments. I scored for a large ensemble but omitted brass to avoid its metallic timbre. Instead, I added harp, marimba, and celesta to expand the orchestra’s warm timbral palette. To ensure the cello soloist projected over the ensemble, I chose to use amplification to allow it’s voice to sing over the rest of the orchestra without having to exert more pressure on the instrument. I was inspired in part by Steve Reich’s integration of electric and acoustic instruments, and my piece likewise adopts a semi-minimalist approach within the creation of deeply intricate textures.
View the score:
