playing outside album
playing outside is my debut album, recorded at Eastcote Studios in London and released July 2023. It includes recordings of three of my chamber music works: fizmer (performed by Trilogy), Aurora Dances (Trio Sonorité), and playing outside (Celia Quartet).
It's available to buy as a limited edition CD or digital download and to stream on the usual platforms.
playing outside
playing outside is a seven-movement string quartet, recorded by the Celia Quartet at Eastcote Studios.
The work's title is a jazz expression that means to play temporarily outside the prevailing scale, chord, or key, and reflects the jazz-influenced musical language. The title of each movement refers to an activity or action that often takes place outside, but also has a double meaning; both elements have been used to create the musical material.
fizmer
fizmer is a piano trio inspired by phrases selected from Robert Macfarlane’s book, Landmarks, a study of words from the British Isles that are no longer in use or on the cusp of being lost. The movement titles are:
1. box the fox
2. clock-ice
3. wow-tin
4. devil-shrieker
Aurora Dances
Aurora Dances is a three-movement trio for piano, clarinet and cello, written for and recorded by Trio Sonorité. The musical material was inspired by three contrasting stages of an aurora:
1. Quiet Arcs (diffuse aurora)
2. Parallel Rays (active aurora)
3. Limited Luminosity (black aurora)
The Bee Carol
Caritas Chamber Choir recorded my choral work, The Bee Carol, for their 2022 album, Christmas with Caritas.
Marimba Movie
Marimba Movie is a one-movement concerto for marimba and piano, recorded by GBSR Duo, with George Barton on marimba and Siwan Rhys on piano.
The Last Signal
The Last Signal is the final song from my cycle of Thomas Hardy poems, Scenes from a Wessex Life; this performance is by tenor Robert Tilson and pianist Neil Crossland, recorded at Ruislip Studios.