Plenty of news to share in this post! The first single from my album is released today! Alban Hefin, Light of Shore, is available on all streaming platforms and bandcamp.
Alban Hefin is the fourth movement of a piano suite I wrote for Armagh born pianist Cahal Masterson. This final movement is a reflection on the first light of summer solstice (light is quite a common theme for this album). The music is built from patterns of interlocking fifths that gain force and pace throughout the piece. I hope you enjoy it! Cahal will be performing the full suite Ceaselessly into the Past in the next few months at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Castleconnell concert series in Limerick, and in the SARC building at Queen’s University Belfast, links to his performances will be available nearer the time.
It was a really special experience working closely with Cahal on this suite, and I’m going to have the opportunity to work with him again over the next year through the Belfast City Council Creative Practitioner Awards. Through this scheme, which is part of Belfast’s bid for UNESCO City of Music 2023, I’ll be writing a piano concerto for Cahal. I’m looking forward to building on the work we did together on my album and seeing what new, crazy rhythms I can give him… 😉
It was a pleasure in August to work again with the Musician’s Union, who invited me to deliver a second seminar on Notation in Sibelius, this time with a focus on Engraving Techniques and Self-Publishing.
Finally, my piece Cross-Purposes (broadcast on BBC Radio 3 a few weeks ago) will be travelling to Thailand in December. Commissioned by the CRASH Ensemble, the piece was chosen for the Thailand New Music and Arts Symposium in Bangkok later this year. Don’t think I’ll be heading out there which is a shame, but I’m looking forward to attending online, keep your eye out for a link to this performance.