In spring 2015, Karin de Fleyt and I founded Aeolian Progression in order to tour Europa and other works for flute and electronics:

Aeolian Progression seeks to unlock new sounds, potentials and expressions for flute and electronics.

Combining an extensive knowledge of modern flute repertoire with a unique fusion approach to electronic music, we aspire to create works that embrace the fullest possible range of musical expression. Using the electronics as a ‘prism’ - the sound of the flute is refracted into diverse timbres, styles and textures which coalesce to create works of deep poetry and drama.

In our spring tour 2015, we performed and gave lectures at:

Coventry University Recital Series on the 11th of March 

iFimPaC at Leeds College of Music on the 13th of March, performance at the Festival’s Nonclassical event

BEAST FEAST at Birmingham University on the 2nd of May 

Europa is the result of a year long collaboration with flautist Karin de Fleyt. We began working together in early 2014, simply to explore the sound of the flute through the prism of electronics. Soon, from the wealth of evocative sounds that emerged, a narrative began to take shape about the search for life on Jupiter’s icy moon. Here are some clips of an early recording (we are planning a commercial recording in 2015).

What would it mean to find life beyond earth? If we were to learn that life is a rare, yet consistently emergent phenomenon, it would have a profound impact on our perspective here on Earth. In order to explore this question emotionally, Europa presents a dramatization of a voyage to Jupiter’s sixth moon in search of microbial life beneath its icy surface.

Narrated by the intrepid solo flautist (alternating flute, piccolo and bass flute), we experience: a rocket blast and the struggle to leave Earth’s gravity, the void of space and the pain of isolation. Now lost, a vision of a goddess leads the way as Europa rears up and we impact with the ice. Stranded amongst the glaciers and glorious geysers of oxygenated water, we begin to drill for the oceans beneath. What will we discover? Will it change us for the better? Europa invites you to contemplate.

In November 2014 I spent two glorious weeks at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Calgary as part of the Source and Inspiration programme. Whilst there, I collaborated with singer-songwriters Abby Swidler and Jodi Doidge to arrange their songs for classical ensembles. 

Also, my Islands cello concerto had its Canadian premiere in the Banff Encounters series with the wonderful Brice Catherin!

Piano Poems were composed for Birmingham’s IKON Gallery concert series on the 14th of February 2014. BEAST composers helped to construct a unique loudspeaker orchestra installation for the live diffusion of their pieces.

Programme note:

My Witton upright piano is one my oldest musical companions. Bought by my mother for her studies - its mellow tones ever audible as I was growing up - it now lives with me in my composing studio. Somehow, emotions seem to flow easier into sound with a timbre that evokes such fond memories. My goal for this short series of compositions was to explore new timbres and strange combinations of sounds. The gateway for discovery: the familiar tones of the Witton – recorded, transformed and layered with diverse sounds to create musical ‘poems’, each with a distinct shape and emotional landscape.

There were some good photos of Norah Lorway’s piece:

A live recording of Islands for solo ‘cello and electronics from the 2014 BEAST concert series at Birmingham University with 'cellist Gregor Riddell.

Islands is a ‘musical drama’, a story told through a fusion of styles. The concerto, symphony, acousmatic music and the song all have their part to play. Though abstract, many of the piece’s themes explore the different aspects of love - a lonely ‘needing, longing’ kind (no man is an island) becoming gradually destructive and giving way to something new, something thankful, a sense of togetherness, completeness.

Gregor and I have worked together for a number of years, presenting pieces at the Aldeburgh Festival and Faster Than Sound. For each collaboration, we have worked to build bridges between the acoustic and the electronic by always beginning with the sound of the ‘cello. By sampling a multitude of sounds from this most versatile instrument, we can construct unique electroacoustic sound-worlds for the music to inhabit, explore and transform as the piece unfolds.

Afternoon rehearsal: