Large Ensemble

This piece depicts a not so elegant dance between two individuals at a ball. It opens with several couples dancing gracefully in the ballroom and as other couples take to the dance floor, one couple looks awkwardly at each other. The man is clumsy and lacks all grace whilst his partner is a talented dancer.

‘Wistful Memories’ is a waltz I composed to convey dancing through a range of past encounters - some joyful, others more difficult. The soloists in this piece embody those memories through their performances, as their melodies intertwine with the orchestra to evoke a contemplative recollection of experiences in their past.

‘Flower Bloom’ illustrates the struggles of a flower fighting its way through different stages of its life. As the flower opens, so too does the main theme of the piece. From our perspective, a caterpillar crawling on a leaf is insignificant, but to a flower trying to grow it’s a life threatening experience.

This is a piece all about time and uncovering secrets, following a story I wrote. After the protagonist’s mentor’s disappearance, he searches through his library to find any clues she may have left behind. In this piece, I use each section of the symphonic orchestra to represent different individuals and points in time.

‘Mythical Forest’ illustrates a wondrous journey through ‘The Forest of Iuvenis’. Each of the piece's sections explore their own unique aspects of the Forest, with key changes representing major changes in the Forest environment. The main theme of the piece utilises non diatonic chords to convey a sense of magic and wonder.

‘Night Falls’ illustrates a hillside scene. As the music progresses, the sunlight slowly fades away until a beautiful orange sky is in plain view. The low strings and brass carry that sky until all the sunlight is gone and night has set in.

This piece represents the culmination of years of work. When I first envisioned ‘Starlit Wonders’, I wanted to explore modulating between different keys to create forward motion. This piece was inspired by a story I wrote where the protagonist is sitting under a romantic starlit sky with his girlfriend.