Concert Music

Together

for Solo Flute

Pan

For Solo Flute

Like Debussy's Masterpiece 'Syrinx', 'Pan' is a solo flute piece based on the Greek Myth of Pan and Syrinx.

"Many of the versions of this myth paint Pan as the image of carnal desire pitted against the purity and chastity of Syrinx - a theme commonly depicted in Greek Myth. However, Upon further study of Ovid's metamorphoses, and the various possible translations, I felt compelled to tell the story from Pan's perspective - not as lustful deity but as an ill-fated romantic, tragically unable to communicate with the woman he loves. The piece attempts to capture the conflicting emotions of love, pain, anger, determination, sadness, and, until it's finally vanquished, hope." - Alex Ford

This piece was named the Winner of the FNMC Competition 2019 - Solo flute category. IT was also named as a finalist in the NFA Newly Published Music competition 2019. This piece is published by ALRY Publishing ltd. and is available for purchase here.

Maria

For Flute and Piano

(Migraine) Toccata

for Piano Duet

The term toccata means light touch - which describes this piece well in every aspect. It’s light hearted, lively as well as being quite light texturally. The piece also has a theatrical element to it, which pits the two performers against one another. Imagine the two players trying always to out do the other. This, almost pantomime element, makes the piece a lot of fun to watch as well as listen to. This piece is published by ALRY Publishing ltd. and is available for purchase here.

Berus In The Woods

For Wind Quintet

Berus in the Woods is a narrative piece for wind quintet. The conceptual drive for the piece is to give children or new listeners the opportunity to hear instruments in isolation and really get to grips with identifying an instrument purely by its sound. While it's something all musicians learn, often it's by blunt force rather than real method. Britten's 'Guide to the Orchestra' and Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf' go someway toward the same goal but take different routes to 'Berus in the Woods'. Britten's 'Guide to the Orchestra' focuses on the sounds of each family rather than it's constituent parts. 'Peter and the Wolf' goes a step further in placing it in a narrative which makes it more accessible for children. Because the piece uses the whole orchestra to reinforce the individual themes, the listener doesn't have the opportunity to listen to an instrument on its own for long. In 'Berus in the Woods', each instrument represents a single character in the story and the piece is constructed, through a narrative, with their interactions. Below is a narrated recording of the piece.

Artwork by Beth Boyes - click for more her work.

Paraíba

For String Sextet

Paraíba is the east-most region of Brazil. It has a cultural heritage of writers and painters including Pedro Américo. 'I was inspired to write this piece by a conversation with a wonderfully talented Brazilian Artist. He spoke of Brazil as Beautiful and raw - the cities a reflection of the land in which they're set. He told me about the people he meets, and that he finds a deep sadness and anger, but that despite this, as a people, they are determined to enjoy life; The same people who are angry at a system which is failing them will dance through the streets at Carnival. I was so grateful for this candid account of 'the real Brazil' and hope this is what people will hear when they listen to the piece.' - Alex Ford

Available for purchase here