As You Like It
Composed: 2006
Voices and jazz ensemble
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. Under the Greenwood Tree
2. Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind
3. What Shall He Have That Killed The Deer
4. It Was A Lover And His Lass
5. Hymen's Song
Duration 14 minutes
Commissioned by North Staffordshire Operatic Society
First performance: cond. Chris Brammeld, Trentham Estate, Staffordshire, 10.7.07
Voices and jazz ensemble
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. Under the Greenwood Tree
2. Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind
3. What Shall He Have That Killed The Deer
4. It Was A Lover And His Lass
5. Hymen's Song
Duration 14 minutes
Commissioned by North Staffordshire Operatic Society
First performance: cond. Chris Brammeld, Trentham Estate, Staffordshire, 10.7.07
Sweet Lovers Love The Swing
Composed: 2006
Three songs from 'As You Like It'
Tenor and piano
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. Under the Greenwood Tree
2. Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind
3. It Was A Lover And His Lass
Duration 9 minutes
First performance: Gregory Wiest (tenor), Movimento, Neuhauserstr, Munich, Germany, 5.6.11
Three songs from 'As You Like It'
Tenor and piano
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. Under the Greenwood Tree
2. Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind
3. It Was A Lover And His Lass
Duration 9 minutes
First performance: Gregory Wiest (tenor), Movimento, Neuhauserstr, Munich, Germany, 5.6.11
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Sounds, And Sweet Airs (Four Songs)
Composed: 2009-11
Four songs from 'The Tempest'
Baritone, clarinet, horn, cello and piano
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. While You Here Do Snoring Lie
2. That When I Waked...
3. I Shall No More To Sea
4. Full Fathom Five
Duration 14 minutes
First performance: Matt Palmer (baritone), University of Sheffield New Music Ensemble, dir. George Nicholson, Firth Hall, Sheffield, 5.4.11
Four songs from 'The Tempest'
Baritone, clarinet, horn, cello and piano
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. While You Here Do Snoring Lie
2. That When I Waked...
3. I Shall No More To Sea
4. Full Fathom Five
Duration 14 minutes
First performance: Matt Palmer (baritone), University of Sheffield New Music Ensemble, dir. George Nicholson, Firth Hall, Sheffield, 5.4.11
Three Shakespeare Songs
Composed: 2009-12
Medium voice and piano
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. O Mistress Mine
2. Come Away, Death
3. Tell me where is Fancy bred
Duration 8½ minutes
First performance: Greg Hallam (baritone) and Robert Thompson (piano), Hertfordshire Chamber Music Series, Rickmansworth, Herts, 10.5.14
I have always enjoyed setting Shakespeare’s words, and for this short cycle, I decided to write in an English pastoral style of tonality, as a nod to favourite song composers of mine such as Finzi, Gurney and Butterworth. The final song, “Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred”, is from The Merchant of Venice, and was composed first, in 2009. “O Mistress Mine” and “Come Away Death” are taken from Twelfth Night and were composed in 2011 to complete this short cycle.
Medium voice and piano
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. O Mistress Mine
2. Come Away, Death
3. Tell me where is Fancy bred
Duration 8½ minutes
First performance: Greg Hallam (baritone) and Robert Thompson (piano), Hertfordshire Chamber Music Series, Rickmansworth, Herts, 10.5.14
I have always enjoyed setting Shakespeare’s words, and for this short cycle, I decided to write in an English pastoral style of tonality, as a nod to favourite song composers of mine such as Finzi, Gurney and Butterworth. The final song, “Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred”, is from The Merchant of Venice, and was composed first, in 2009. “O Mistress Mine” and “Come Away Death” are taken from Twelfth Night and were composed in 2011 to complete this short cycle.
Performance credit: Greg Hallam, Robert Thompson
At Last He Sleeps
Composed: 2011-12
Baritone and piano
Texts: Edward Thomas
1. The Cherry Trees
2. In Memoriam
3. A Private
Duration 7 minutes
First performance: Greg Hallam (baritone) and Robert Thompson (piano), Hertfordshire Chamber Music Series, Rickmansworth, Herts, 10.5.14
2014 marks the centenary of the Great War, a period which, as well as causing devastation and loss of life on an unprecedented scale, also moved artists, musicians and writers to create some of the most moving works ever put to paper. I first came across Edward Thomas's poems through the composer (and poet) Ivor Gurney, and determined to investigate and compose some settings of my own. The brevity, bleakness and directness of Thomas's poems is enough to move anyone to tears, and I have tried to capture these qualities in my music. Apart from one nostalgic and tantalising glimpse of normal life in the third song, these pieces are unashamedly and intentionally pessimistic, reflecting the honesty of the poet's writing. They were first performed in 2014 by Greg Hallam and Robert Thompson.
Baritone and piano
Texts: Edward Thomas
1. The Cherry Trees
2. In Memoriam
3. A Private
Duration 7 minutes
First performance: Greg Hallam (baritone) and Robert Thompson (piano), Hertfordshire Chamber Music Series, Rickmansworth, Herts, 10.5.14
2014 marks the centenary of the Great War, a period which, as well as causing devastation and loss of life on an unprecedented scale, also moved artists, musicians and writers to create some of the most moving works ever put to paper. I first came across Edward Thomas's poems through the composer (and poet) Ivor Gurney, and determined to investigate and compose some settings of my own. The brevity, bleakness and directness of Thomas's poems is enough to move anyone to tears, and I have tried to capture these qualities in my music. Apart from one nostalgic and tantalising glimpse of normal life in the third song, these pieces are unashamedly and intentionally pessimistic, reflecting the honesty of the poet's writing. They were first performed in 2014 by Greg Hallam and Robert Thompson.
Performance credit: Greg Hallam, Robert Thompson
Winter Pass
Composed: 2015; revised 2020
High voice and piano
Texts: Edward Thomas
1. Snow
2. Rain
3. Thaw
Duration 13 minutes
High voice and piano
Texts: Edward Thomas
1. Snow
2. Rain
3. Thaw
Duration 13 minutes
At Last He Sleeps
Composed: 2015
Version for voice and orchestra
Texts: Edward Thomas
1. The Cherry Trees
2. In Memoriam
3. A Private
Duration 8 minutes
Version for voice and orchestra
Texts: Edward Thomas
1. The Cherry Trees
2. In Memoriam
3. A Private
Duration 8 minutes
Sounds, And Sweet Airs (Be Not Afeard)
Composed: 2016
For soprano and clarinet
Text: William Shakespeare (The Tempest)
Duration 4 minutes
First performance: Donna Lennard (soprano) and Benjamin Graves (clarinet), Clare Hall, Cambridge, 18.2.17
For soprano and clarinet
Text: William Shakespeare (The Tempest)
Duration 4 minutes
First performance: Donna Lennard (soprano) and Benjamin Graves (clarinet), Clare Hall, Cambridge, 18.2.17
Performance credit: Donna Lennard, Benjamin Graves
In Memoriam - five songs
Composed: 2018
Soprano, flute, clarinet in A, violin, cello
Texts (respectively): A. E. Housman, Edward Thomas, Leslie Coulson, Richard Aldington, Willoughby Weaving
1. Here we lie dead
2. In Memoriam
3. War
4. Sunsets
5. Flanders
Duration 14 minutes
First performance: Mimi Doulton (soprano) and Cambridge University New Music Ensemble: Catriona Bourne (flute), Ben Graves (clarinet), Leo Appel (violin), Dan Gilchrist (cello), cond. Patrick Bailey, Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, 22.11.18
Soprano, flute, clarinet in A, violin, cello
Texts (respectively): A. E. Housman, Edward Thomas, Leslie Coulson, Richard Aldington, Willoughby Weaving
1. Here we lie dead
2. In Memoriam
3. War
4. Sunsets
5. Flanders
Duration 14 minutes
First performance: Mimi Doulton (soprano) and Cambridge University New Music Ensemble: Catriona Bourne (flute), Ben Graves (clarinet), Leo Appel (violin), Dan Gilchrist (cello), cond. Patrick Bailey, Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, 22.11.18
Performance credit: Mimi Doulton, Catriona Bourne, Ben Graves, Leo Appel, Dan Gilchrist, Patrick Bailey
Marvellous Sweet Music (Songs from The Tempest)
Composed: 2016-20
For 2 sopranos, 2 clarinets, 2 cellos
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. Come unto these yellow sands
2. Interlude: Be not afeard (part 1)
3. Full fathom five
4. Interlude: Be not afeard (part 2)
5. While you here do snoring lie
6. Interlude: Be not afeard (part 3)
7. I shall no more to sea
8. Epilogue: Be not afeard (part 4)
Duration 22 minutes
For 2 sopranos, 2 clarinets, 2 cellos
Texts: William Shakespeare
1. Come unto these yellow sands
2. Interlude: Be not afeard (part 1)
3. Full fathom five
4. Interlude: Be not afeard (part 2)
5. While you here do snoring lie
6. Interlude: Be not afeard (part 3)
7. I shall no more to sea
8. Epilogue: Be not afeard (part 4)
Duration 22 minutes