Irene - 13 minutes 49 seconds

Piano and dramatic strings, written for Irene

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I love writing music about people; I find it to be one of the most stimulating approaches to composition. People touch me in so many different ways, they create emotions and memories, they are complex and my perception of them unique. Tapping into that part of my brain when I’m playing has always been a rich creative vein.

This track was written as a thank you to my Aunt Irene for looking after us when we were in Paris. My Uncle Dominic had passed away the previous year and it was the first time we had seen her since the funeral. The piece starts off incredibly sadly and yet by the midway has become dramatic and full of life – just like my wonderful Parisian Aunt.

The melody that comes in around 9 ½ minutes is possibly one of my favorite string passes in the entire music2work2 catalog to date.

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Marsha - 18 minutes 57 seconds

Piano, Organ, Strings with a renaissance edge

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I used three voices on this track: Piano, Organ and Strings. I have been using organ more and more on the Kelli project and I wanted to see how it would fit into the overall style of this kind of piece. As ever, the piano track goes down first, then the organ and finally the strings. Listening to the tracks afterwards, I then remove what doesn't work. There is an interpretation of one of Wendi's earlier themes tucked into the middle of the piece, which felt fairly appropriate with Wendi being Marsha's daughter.

One of my most visceral memories is of seeing David in Florence. I remember being 18 and not terribly into "Culture" per se - however, the sheer size of the sculpture, the perfection, the human achievement, was enough to change my attitude towards art forever. Legend has it that when they asked Michelangelo how he did it, he replied: "I just removed what wasn't David." I have had that concept in my head for a while now and am actively incorporating it into my approach to creating music. When I look at the finished piece, I use about 30% of the organ track and about 60% of the string track - with apologies to Michelangelo, but: "I just removed what wasn't Marsha!"

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Marsha is part of The Thinker's Playlist.

Charlotte - 10 minutes 9 seconds

Strings and Piano - written for Charlotte.

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So this is Charlotte's session - who knows how this music comes out but I do think of her and smile when I listen to this piece

Two strings based upon three distinct piano themes. I particularly like the third one in 5 / 4 time. The piece could come across as pretty melancholic and dark - when you look at what she has been through - I guess that's appropriate - but there is a certain hope to the piece - lots of positive resolution.

I think for me, one of the things I learned at EDNF and through my friendship with Charlotte is that you can either sit there and complain or you can get up off your butt (if that's physically possible!) and do something. Charlotte and I try to do something every day and together we have taken music2work2 from an idea to a reality. I could not have done it without her and for that I thank her with all my heart.

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Charlotte is part of The Reader’s Playlist.