30 minutes

Commissioned by Sarah Watts and integrating Watt's multiphonics

From a fragment by Kassia, the Byzantine composer who lived during 800AD, and from the structure of the David Oates work 'Kiss 19' (depicted in the image). Sarah Watts has performed this at various venues in the UK and USA.

15 minutes

This is a version of the composition for 10 bass clarinets 'Her Sisters' Notebook'. Composed from a fragment by Kassia, the Byzantine composer who lived during 800AD, and from the structure of the David Oates work 'Kiss 19' (depicted in the image)

10 minutes

Three humorous miniature stories from the often fleeting but deeply experienced dividing line between safety and danger. In the first tale, a green apple takes centre stage (“d-Phenothrin, a shade of green ...I’ve only seen in Disney”). A brush with death in an overcrowded underground train (“My work bag is being crushed far too much, too much crush I cannot breathe very well when you push”) and the fear of what a lone dog on the street may be planning (“Why is this beast on this street? Why? Coming towards me without a lead? Why? Why?”) make up this set of urban panics.

Composer’s statement So fear …. Let’s talk about it. No, let’s laugh about it! But it’s serious. Fearfulness, fright, scared, terrified, uncomfortable, followed/not followed, never knowing quite how vulnerable/safe. If you are a woman reading this you will need no explanation. I decided to capture the fear and turn it a little sideways into a type of live cartoon in the form of a music theatre piece. The brass parts are sometimes sarcastic, almost making mockery of the lyrics. The three Congratulations that are Panic in the City are a jest, but also a most serious one.