This trailer is for a novel by Polly Courtney about the issues leading up to and during the London riots of 2011. The main character finds herself caught between two worlds, with music a projection of this – grime and minimalist piano music find themselves in contention. The ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ is significant to the plot – read the book to discover more!

I was asked to score ‘Journey’s End’ by Sherriff, a harrowing and heartfelt play about the First World War. The bleak and modal music mirrors the main character’s psychological state. It also depicts the outlook for the soldiers on the Front, with moments of anguish and despair. The final track played until the last of the audience had left the theatre.

This video gives a flavour of the ‘Soundtrack’ Project in Bristol which I helped to direct. Working with young composers, we interviewed elderly people at a residential home and used the details and stories of their lives as a stimulus for new compositions. Parts of the compositions for which I was the mentor can be seen here, along with extracts of the final concert.

‘Antigone’ by Sophocles, directed by Brian Parsons, featured an eerie Dali-esque setting in an undefined 1960s totalitarian location. The chorus, traditionally old men, were in this case war widows with defined personalities who delivered the choric odes a few lines each in turn. The music needed to be subtle and unobtrusive, yet underline the message and mood of each ode.