As You Like It
Composed: 2006
Voices and jazz ensemble
Text: 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
Text: 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
Text: 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
Text: 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
Sounds and Sweet Airs
Composed: 2009-11
Four songs from 'The Tempest'
Baritone, clarinet, horn, cello and piano
Text: 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
Text: 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
O Mistress Mine - Three Shakespeare Songs
Composed: 2009-12
Three songs for medium voice and piano
Text: 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.
Three songs for medium voice and piano
Text: 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.
At Last He Sleeps
Composed: 2011-12
Three songs for baritone and piano
Text: 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.
Three songs for baritone and piano
Text: 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.
Winter Pass
Composed: 2015
Three songs for tenor and piano
Text: Edward Thomas
1. Snow
2. Rain
3. Thaw
Duration 11½ minutes
Three songs for tenor and piano
Text: Edward Thomas
1. Snow
2. Rain
3. Thaw
Duration 11½ minutes
At Last He Sleeps
Composed: 2015
Version for voice and orchestra
Text: Edward Thomas
1. The Cherry Trees
2. In Memoriam
3. A Private
Duration 8 minutes
Version for voice and orchestra
Text: Edward Thomas
1. The Cherry Trees
2. In Memoriam
3. A Private
Duration 8 minutes
that when I waked
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
In Memoriam - five songs
Composed: 2018
For soprano, flute, clarinet in A, violin, cello
Texts (respectively): A. E. Housman, Edward Thomas, Leslie Coulson, Richard Aldington, Willoughby Weaving
1. Here dead we lie
2 In Memoriam
3. War
4. Sunsets
5. Flanders
Duration 13½ minutes
For soprano, flute, clarinet in A, violin, cello
Texts (respectively): A. E. Housman, Edward Thomas, Leslie Coulson, Richard Aldington, Willoughby Weaving
1. Here dead we lie
2 In Memoriam
3. War
4. Sunsets
5. Flanders
Duration 13½ minutes