Hello!

It has been a while since my last post. I’ve been working flat out at the RCM (where I am now Professor of Composition) alongside composing my opera for WNO, which is such a mammoth project. I’m really looking forward to the time I can share more about the opera with you all!

But today, I want to share with you some of the music that has been on repeat in my life playlist recently. These pieces are sonic journeys that have been important to me in different ways and left an indelible mark on my heart over the years.

We start with Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony. Picture this: you’re listening to the third movement, and the iconic swan theme comes sweeping in, inspired by the flight of 16 swans Sibelius saw one morning. But here’s the thing not everyone notices—the theme is played simultaneously at two different tempos by the horns and double basses. Talk about a goosebumps moment! Sibelius wrote in his diary about the swans: they circled above me for a long time. Disappeared into the solar haze like a shining silver ribbon. Beautiful!

Björk

Next up, is a song by Björk’s called Generous Palmstroke. Björk’s music has always had a special place in my heart. This track was a B-side to the single “Hidden Place” from the album Vespertine, and it’s a hidden gem indeed. The raw power of Björk’s voice paired with the ethereal tones of the harp creates a mesmerising atmosphere that is pure magic. Here is Björk performing at the Royal Opera House back in 2007.

Ligeti

Ligeti’s Horn Trio is like looking at Brahms or Schumann through a distorting mirror. It is a work I come back to time and time again. I had the privilege of hearing Ben Goldscheider, Callum Smart, and Richard Uttley perform this recently at the Wigmore Hall, and it was one of the most beautiful performances I’ve experienced. This recording of the powerful final movement is performed by Víkingur Ólafsson on the piano with Sigrún Eðvaldsdóttir on violin and Stefán Jón Bernharðsson on horn.

Emily Hall

Emily is one of my closest friends, ever since our days at the RCM when we started the Camberwell Composers Collective together. Befalling is a setting of Toby Litt’s poem of the same name and there is something about the beautiful simplicity of the music that never fails to inspire me. In this video, the wonderful Hermes Experiment perform their unique arrangement of Emily’s song.

Kaija Saariaho

Kaija Saariaho’s D’Om le Vrai Sens is like stepping into a medieval tapestry come to life. I heard Kari Kriikku perform the UK premiere of this work at the Barbican, and it was a stunning experience. The way the soloist moves to a different space of the concert hall for each movement adds an extra dimension to the work that is truly breathtaking.

Anna Meredith

Anna and I have been close friends since studying together at the RCM (Anna was also a founder member of the Camberwell Composers Collective along with Emily) and I used to play and sing in her band when she was starting out on her solo career. Inhale Exhale is one of my all-time favourites from Anna’s Mercury Prize nominated album Fibs.

Hans Abrahamsen

Finally, I want to share Hans Abrahamsen’s let me tell you for soprano and orchestra. This piece, which won the 2016 Grawemeyer Award, sets texts from Paul Griffiths’ novel of the same name. It’s a unique take on Ophelia’s story from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, using only the 481-word vocabulary given to her in the play. Abrahamsen’s constrained writing technique creates a delicate and fragile atmosphere that is utterly captivating. It’s like peering into Ophelia’s soul and experiencing her narrative in a whole new light. Truly a work of enigmatic beauty.

And there you have it—some of my musical inspirations in a nutshell. What music has been inspiring you lately? Let me know, I’d love to hear!