Ultra Violet

Claire writes: “I learned that the mantis shrimp (which is the most lusciously hued crustaecean in the world) can see more colours than any creature on earth. Ultra Violet vision (at one far end of the colour spectrum) is only known to a few humans on Earth. But many birds and insects possess this quality.  It is innate to their survival and navigation systems. This piece explores my continued fascination with the seemingly simple yet endlessly complex, through the growth and development of a single musical statement. What does it need to survive? How must it adapt to move forward? How will it change colour and mood with the simple addition of a non-related pitch? I think of myself as a bird, navigating through a musical landscape guided by intuition, and on a journey to create and discover colours beyond the edges of our visible spectrum.”

Co-commissioned by CMNZ and NZTrio in 2015.

Subtle Dances

Subtle Dances

Be Slow and Lie Low

Nerve Lines

Claire writes: “Subtle Dances is a set of three short moods for Piano Trio. Each work features one instrument more prominently: firstly cello; then piano; then violin. The music explores my ongoing fascination with the creation of space within music. Hypnotic and meditative, the pieces present themselves as a contrasting set of interior landscapes –– passing thoughts, memories, unsolvable problems, and explorations of headspace.

It begins with a dance: a rhythmical and passionate interlocking of playful lines, but not without an element of danger and risk. Next, an elegy: the body in its slowest state. Finally, struggle: an unanswered question, a cycle, and ultimately, transition –bursting through into a new light.”

Co-commissioned by CMNZ and NZTrio in 2013