A journey through some of the themes in my work.

Songs and Verses from North Cambridge (2021).

Themes: Celebrating the underdog and saving stories for future generations.

I love researching and finding little nuggets from history people have yet to learn about. It’s an exciting adventure. When I created this project and book, I hoped that someone would find it in their attic in 2123 and, on reading it, learn stories about people living in north Cambridge in 2023. I wanted the stories to be from people who wouldn’t usually have them told and remembered this way. Those are often the most important stories to tell.

Halfway to Heaven (2017).

Theme: Giving marginalised people the respect they deserve in life and death.

When I was introduced to a hidden burial ground, completely overground and elevated above street level, I was fascinated by the stories of people buried there. In the 18th century, when Baptists weren’t allowed to be buried in consecrated ground, a Baptist minister buried his congregation in his back garden. The composition is activated by visitors standing still in front of gravestones. It is possible to create a whole choir of stories, each unique to the person buried beneath, and they harmonise to create a complex choral work. When visitors leave, the song finishes. The way it plays is a form of acknowledgement of the deceased: these people were considered outcasts, and by standing still to listen, visitors can pay their respects and bring their stories into being again.

LIFTED (2016).

Theme: Seeing magic in the mundane and not taking things for granted.

As a child, I was fascinated by lifts and would imagine magical things bursting out of them when the doors opened. This piece has many themes, but ultimately, it is inspired by the question: “What if the lift doors opened and something amazing was inside?”