WORKS
PSALM 23
PSALM 23
This work for string quartet was written with Psalm 23 (‘The Lord is My Shepherd’) in mind. The introductory material was influenced by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and the philosophy behind his late compositional style Tintinnabuli.
The main theme is recited repeatedly like a mantra, passed between instruments while undergoing variations through both complex polyphony and stripped back ostinato. These variations culminate in one final recitation which brings the piece to rest.
This piece explores how religious faith strenghtens and fades through periods of hardship and uncertainty, enduring in the hope of finding rest on the other side.
WOMAN WHO STOLE FINGERS
This Japanese-inspired piano piece was commissioned by Flatpack Film Festival in 2025. It is set to a horror short film (see below) – a young boy is trapped in a claustrophobic household with his overbearing mother. One day, as he unwittingly attempts to leave the garden, his mother comes up with a sinister solution to keep him around…
The piece borrows from both the Iwato and Insen scales of traditional Japanese music.
Original short film here!
Director: Saori Shiroki
WOMAN WHO STOLE FINGERS
CLOTHO’S DANCE
The name ‘Clotho’s Dance’ was inspired by the Moirai (or ‘Fates’) of Greek Mythology – which have interesting parallels with the Hindu Trimurti (consisting of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva).
This piece (written for string trio and clarinet) begins with a slow scalic section, imitating the spinning of the thread of life which begins at birth. Once the main motif begins, it is taken through many capricious changes in mood until its impetus halts abruptly at the end, imitating the snipping of the thread upon the moment of death.
The tonality and structure of this work was heavily inspired by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), whose repertoire featured solely in this concert.