COMPOSITIONS
Music from the heart
Unwound
Premiered June 2023
The training of a classical violinist is rigorous and starts at a young age. I have found the lifetime dedication to the violin and music splendidly rewarding, though it comes with many rules. There are structures in music that need to be understood and assimilated, endless exercises and the constant striving to realise a composer’s wishes. I wondered what I would play if untethered to any rules.
I was awarded a week’s residency at the Tyrone Guthrie centre last summer and I spent a lot of time with my violin, a loop pedal and no scores. It was very liberating to let all musical influences in and let loose. “Unwound” refers to this letting loose, as well as the literal unwinding of the strings. It is said to be unwise to “untune” a violin in public, as it might not want to be retuned later in the piece, but I discovered new sound worlds and quickly developed a disregard for perfection as my goal. This is an honest and visceral portrayal of what it is to be untethered.
'Unwound' had its world premiere at the Killaloe Music Festival in June 2023.
Pass the Hat
Premiered January 2024
I wrote Pass The Hat in September 2023 for the Solas Quartet. I wanted to compose something that was energising and entertaining and not without its challenges. This short piece is about the power dynamics within any group. The hat, which appears to have a life of its own, insists on perilous virtuoso solos when worn. It is not quite clear whether the hat is something to be coveted or feared.
Pass the Hat was performed by the Solas Quartet Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, 20th January 2024.
Fly
In 2011, my father died of cancer. He was really okay and then four months later he was gone. It was a time of enormous pain and sadness but also extraordinary beauty. He was able to open up and talk in a way that hadn’t been possible for him before. Following his death, I experienced a wake-up that only an experience such as this could have given me. I have enjoyed a richness and love of life since he departed and I have him to thank. Out of pain comes beauty and freedom - he let me fly.