Piano Trio No. 2, for oboe, violoncello, and piano

Composed for oboe, violoncello, and piano, the main focus when assembling this composition was on form for each movement in the partitioning of sections.

To begin, the first movement is an oration of The Nine Ways in the Bon religion. Rhythm and contour for are crudely derived from written Tibetan to 'spell' the name of one of supreme gods, Shenlha Ökar.

The well-defined order for written Chinese is also used to form a 'mantra' style rhythm that is repeated in both pitch and rest in the second movement in order to recite the creation of the moon goddess, Tara. She was revered in many religions, and embodied compassion and virtue in all. The mantra is derived from the word 'mugwort', as a reference to a traditional medicinal practice in several cultures who revere her.

The third movement is a mandala, and it is in four sections -- one for each directional 'gate' that is often included in some Buddhist mandalas. The rest of the Tibetan name from the first movement begins the piece, and numerous motifs from previous movements are mixed into the texture.

The fourth movement is conjoined to its predecessor (as it is a more specific aspect of the 'mandala'). It depicts the vajra, a mace of diamond and lighting used in many cultures. A brief moment of sparkling diamond is overtaken by a fierce battle of lightning and thunder. The finale was composed with the heroic historical figure of Poto the Brave in mind. He and one other defended Theben Pass in 1060 from sunset to sunrise and defied the disadvantageous odds to survive.

Commissioned by and dedicated to The Olive Collective in Cardiff.

Duration: 20’ 00”

Trio, for two flutes and harp - “Golden Hour”

Set to three paintings by contemporary British painter Shaun Hughes, this work was composed for Joanne Abson at the Junior Conservatoire of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It also takes its inspiration from Medieval folk music.

Duration: 10’ 00”

Piano Trio No. 1, for viola, violoncello, and piano

Subtitled “Conference of the Birds,” this work was crafted using a variety of personal methodologies. In addition, the work drew initial inspiration from the composition Kor ərəbin mahnısı (“Song of the Blind Arab”), by Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov from the musical setting of the play Sheikh Sanan, while at the same time incorporating its melody. The subtitle of my work is in reference to the Sufistic text Conference of the Birds, itself the basis of the play Sheikh Sanan, which is also utilized. Moreover, the music is reminiscent of the traditional sonata form, with diametric A and E-flat as harmonic zones of import.

The music is a combination of two of my compositional methods: my Eddaic mode, which translates both the names of the birds mentioned in the Conference of the Birds & the names of Sanan and Khumar (the main lovers of  Sheikh Sanan) into pitch, harmonic, and rhythmic information; and, my Akkadian mode, which uses 88 rhythmic figurations formed through my ornithological analysis of Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform and its syllabary.  This is dependent on the phonemic information of, here, the “birds.”

Over time—just as in the text Conference of the Birds—certain “birds” (i.e., their themes) fade from the music, until only the worthy remain to form the mythical “simurgh.”

There are four sections to this work. First comes Yer (“Earth”). It is dronelike in the style of muğam, and it evokes improvisatory, loamy textures—harmony is firm like stone.

In Boşluk (“Void”), Amirov’s melody begins to crystalize (around fig. 5), and a number of birds are introduced musically—in general, this section has a mournful tint. Lyricism and fluidity are valued here.

Kənar (“Edge”) returns to the stability of the opening muğam-style, as it opens with a piano solo. Warm and cold extremes duel for control of the narrative, and the Sanan and Khumar Theme forms at fig. 14.

Symbolic of both the lovers Sanan and Khumar, and of the unity gifted by the simurgh, Əbədi (“Eternal”) concludes the work. Only those birds mentioned in the text—as well as the lovers—are cited here, and the harmonic struggles between the A—E-flat tritone is resolved.

The final image is that of the simurgh, which shines in a fiery heat whilst also drawing inspiration from the “Song of the Blind Arab”

Duration: 10’ 00”

Epitaph, for two flutes and harp

Composed for the Junior Conservatoire (at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), this work is based on the Seikilos epitaph: a stele containing the oldest complete musical composition.

Duration: 3’ 40”

Pearl, for two flutes and harp

Composed for the Junior Conservatoire at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, this work stood originally as a work for SATB and piano. The piece was completely rewritten, however, and it is based upon the fourteenth-century poem "Pearl," about a father mourning the loss of his daughter.

Duration: 5’ 00”

Légende, for guitar, harp, and piano

In five brief movements, the inspiration of this set is from medieval Occitan literature. The organization of the movements depicts a "legend," or some sort of story which one recounts to another, beginning in the morning and ending in the evening.

Duration: 12’ 20”