My Own Compositions – A Master’s Portfolio
So, you’ve read my endless dissections of the life and of Paul McCartney.
I want to take the chance to offer you a portfolio of my own pieces – to perhaps prove that I do know what I’m talking about.
Or I’ll let you decide if I’m a musical fraud -somebody who is keen to pick apart the work of others but with nothing to show myself!
Ten compositions of mine will be submitted as a portfolio for a masters in composition; lasting just over an hour. Here they are:
1. Bryn Celli Ddu – Symphonic Poem for Orchestra, Choir and Soprano Soloist
Bryn Celli Ddu is a Neolithic chambered cairn on Anglesey; one of the most iconic prehistoric
monuments in Britain. This symphonic poem evokes its mystery and ritual grandeur. Traditional
orchestral colours are combined with tribal elements – hypnotic conga-drum patterns, chant-like vocal writing and modal harmonies. Bryn Celli Ddu brings a fresh perspective to the symphonic repertoire, blending traditional orchestral elements with primal energy. The incorporation of conga drums into the orchestral percussion section adds a dynamic dimension to the work.
The piece unfolds in a series of short, connected movements whose motives and chants recur in
altered forms. A hushed opening of drums and claves gives way to mournful strings and a principal
violin theme echoed by muted trumpet. A cappella choral drones and a vigorous “Zoemander” chant build to climactic percussion, while solos for bassoon, harp and glockenspiel suggest the shaman’s incantations.
Processional music and ostinatos lead the worshippers into the inner chamber (“The Procession to the Portal”), where the earlier motives transform into radiant major keys, amidst passages of intriguing imitation between strings, horns and woodwind. After a final surge, the chorus intones “Zoemander”, closing on a chord of luminous optimism as the world of the living and the dead find spiritual unity.
Echoes from the Bandstand – For Solo Classical Guitar
I have played the guitar since the age of ten. The classical guitar repertoire is firmly associated with
Spanish composers, such as Joaquin Rodrigo, or adaptations of the music of Albeniz and Granados. It has been hard for composers to break free from this association. In this piece, I aimed to do something that had not been tried before – to link the classical guitar to the British music hall tradition of the late Victorian period. I studied multiple music hall songbooks, arranged for the piano, to get a feel for the style and gestures in that genre. I then set about making the piece idiomatic to the classical guitar.
This “music hall” opening section formed the first of three short movements that reflected various
parks in Manchester that I’ve enjoyed sharing with my family over the years. I aimed to make the
music reflect the contrasting characteristics of each park.
The first section also involves an element of parody and humour – another thing that is rare (and thus a challenge to deploy) in the classical repertoire – for any sort of instrument or ensemble.
The piece is dedicated to the American guitarist Ben Lougheed. In the meantime, I made a rough demo recording of the piece in my garden during the summer of 2025.
Queen’s Park, Harpurhey, one of Manchester’s oldest municipal parks, just north of the city centre,
evokes the fading world of the Edwardian music hall, heard drifting from the pubs that lined the city’s edge. A solitary drinker, humming a half-remembered tune, wanders through the park — until he stumbles, bumps his head, and drifts into an uneasy slumber beneath the stars. The next section is a lament for Queen’s Park, as it has suffered something of a decline over the years. Notably, a statue of the dialect poet Benjamin Brierly was vandalised and now only the plinth remains.
Victoria Park, Stretford, opened in 1902, just one year after the death of Queen Victoria. The music
reflects the regal splendour of its grand opening ceremony and the formal beauty of its geometric
flowerbeds — a tribute in sound to the late monarch.
Ladybarn Park, Withington, in contrast, offers a moment of present-day reflection. The music is
inspired by a striking line of tall poplar trees that border the park — their upper branches swaying
gently in the breeze. This movement captures the quiet serenity and natural grace of the trees as they whisper above the passerby.
3. Rhapsody for Piano Solo
Rhapsody for Solo Piano (2025) is a seven-minute work that captures the rhapsodic tradition —
emotionally expansive, formally free, and technically demanding. Written for an advanced performer (diploma level), it calls for agility, expressive depth, and control of dynamics, tempo, and pedalling. Though grounded in tonality, the piece explores adventurous harmonic territory, unfolding as a musical “search” that gradually reveals and transforms its central theme before resolving
triumphantly in A major.
The work opens with sparse intervals of fourths, fifths, and octaves, leading to a reflective A minor
theme (Moderato affettuoso). Increasing rhythmic energy and left-hand figuration propel the music
toward the Con moto section, where call-and-response gestures and whole-tone runs heighten
intensity to a climactic peak. A contrasting Andante lontano follows, harmonically restrained over a
static pedal, before the harmony blossoms again at Con moto e espressivo, culminating in a majestic Molto maestoso affirmation of A major.
While not derivative, the piece reflects the spirit of Liszt and Rachmaninoff in its freedom and drama, and hints of Debussy and Vaughan Williams in its harmonic colour. Above all, it expresses a deeply personal journey, dedicated to my son, James, whose courage and vitality inspired its creation.
4. Pastorale for Oboe and Piano
Pastorale for Oboe and Piano is inspired by a reclaimed patch of wild woodland in Manchester —
once an industrial site, now overtaken by nature. The piece reflects the quiet vitality of this landscape, evoking the interplay of light, wind, and living movement within it.
Written in an adapted ternary form, the work opens in F major with a gently rocking accompaniment
that captures the woodland’s tranquil rhythm. The oboe’s lyrical theme unfolds over shifting
harmonies, including unexpected modulations to E♭ and D♭ major, which add a sense of organic
fluidity. A development section follows, where oboe and piano engage in dialogue, transforming
earlier motifs and moving through distant tonalities from A♭ to B major before settling into a
mysterious stillness.
The second main theme in D♭ major is more radiant and assured, its simple phrasing and harmonic
clarity providing contrast after the earlier restlessness. A reflective interlude in G minor leads the
music through a chain of modulations that ultimately return it home to F major. The closing pages
bring a sense of renewal: the oboe rises freely above an Fmaj7 chord, coloured by a raised fourth — a luminous Lydian inflection suggesting light filtering through leaves and the quiet persistence of new life.
5. Romance for Viola and Strings
Romance is a short, expressive piece for solo viola and strings. It begins with a subdued four-bar
introduction alternating between the G minor tonic and D major dominant chords. The opening viola
melody is rich and expressive, exploiting the lower range of the instrument. The melody is then
repeated in decorated form and takes an unexpected route, forming a ten-bar phrase, before
cadencing on the tonic chord. The soloist then explores the upper-middle or “singing range” of the
instrument.
A descending sequence leads to a key change to C minor, where the soloist returns to the lower range of the instrument, in a reflective passage that is punctuated by rests – as though the melody is searching for a new identity. This is achieved by means of two striking modulations – first to B major and then, to D major (the tonic of the home key). Tremolando upper strings usher in a return of the original expressive theme. This time, the accompaniment is different – the first violins offer a sinuous accompaniment marked “delicato.”
The piece draws to and end with a short, slow coda. The viola’s final note – a harmonic on the tonic – is left hanging above a mildly dissonant chord of G minor with an added 9, provided by the
accompanying violas.
6. Two Songs (Voice and Piano)
Facing West is a setting of Walt Whitman’s poem “Facing West from California’s Shores” (1860), a
brief meditation on restlessness and spiritual longing at the western edge of the American continent. The speaker—likely Whitman himself—stands on the Pacific shore, reflecting that material progress has not yet brought inner fulfilment. I sought to express this mixture of wonder and incompleteness through a lyrical, tonal language shaped by recurring motifs and gentle harmonic ambiguity. It is sung here by the mezzo-soprano Jacqueline Pischorn in a live recording.
The text was lightly adapted into a song form in which the first two lines return as a refrain,
underpinning the idea of searching beyond the frontier. The piano introduces a calm prelude before
the voice enters on the word “west,” sustained above a C-minor harmony that delays the tonic and
creates an immediate sense of suspension. The music then moves through a ii–V–I progression (C
minor–F–B♭ major), resolving the initial tension.
Subsequent phrases rise gradually, conveying aspiration, before falling through D♭-diminished and
A7(♭9) harmonies that colour the line “seeking what is yet unfound.” A lighter A Tempo section follows, rhythmically playful and tinged with innocence, while later modulations—to G minor, G major, and A major—reflect the traveller’s shifting emotional landscape. The Mixolydian inflection of B♭7 subtly evokes the “spice islands” of the text, introducing a faintly exotic hue.
In the closing section, the refrain returns with varied accompaniment. An interrupted cadence at bars 84–85 leads unexpectedly to G♭ and F major, suggesting arrival at a gentler, uncharted place. The piano ends on open fourths (A–D–G above an F bass), a translucent sonority that leaves the listener poised between homecoming and discovery.
Sonnet 73
This setting of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73 explores one of his most poignant meditations on ageing, loss, and renewal through love. The poem’s speaker, contemplating mortality, moves from sorrow toward quiet acceptance in the final couplet. I imagined the voice of a baritone, whose darker range best conveys the sonnet’s gravity. It is sung here by the Italian baritone Guiomar Zuttion in a studio recording.
The music follows the poem’s four-part structure. The first quatrain (“That time of year thou mayst in me behold”) is marked Espressivo e lamentoso, depicting autumnal desolation. The second (“In me thou seest the twilight of such day”) becomes more personal and imploring, Molto espressivo e
supplichevole. The third quatrain, where the poet confronts death directly, is marked Con
determinazione, and the closing couplet reaches calm acceptance, Con tenerezza e rubato.
A four-bar piano prelude in C minor, both hands in the treble clef, establishes an intimate atmosphere before pausing on an altered dominant (G ♭9). The baritone enters on a descending fifth—an emblem of resignation—over alternating C- and F-minor chords. A sudden enharmonic modulation to B major in bar 15 suggests fleeting hope before subsiding to E minor, where the word “cold” is painted by a falling fifth. Gentle plagal motion returns to B major for “the sweet birds sang.”
At bar 30, the second quatrain’s anguish is intensified through B-minor harmony coloured by a flat 9
and suspended 4th. The appearance of “death” coincides with F♯-diminished and a dissonant B-major cluster, underlining its starkness. The third quatrain renews energy in E minor, its triplet rhythms reinforcing resolve.
The final couplet brings serenity: a stepwise vocal line over sparse chords resolves to G add9, then to a quiet G major after recalling the work’s opening C-minor sonority. The piece closes in stillness and acceptance—love enduring beyond decay.
7. Calderstones for Trombone and Classical Guitar
Calderstones is a modern chamber work for the unique pairing of tenor trombone and classical guitar. The piece evokes the mystery and grandeur of the enigmatic Calderstones – a neolithic monument, now ignominiously confined to a greenhouse in a Liverpool park. What stories, with their mysterious markings, could these stones tell if they could speak to the visitor?
The tenor trombone begins “broadly”, its broad gestures echo the size and quiet dignity of the stones. The classical guitar provides quiet accompaniment in the dark key of E minor. The piece soon modulates to D minor, where the second theme occurs – a plaintive melody marked “Andante
misterioso”. This is followed by a transitional and developmental passage that leads to a rhythmic
interlude, with staccato guitar chords and broken trombone phrases. At the end of this section, the
main theme recurs but this time in the key of D minor – pushing the trombone up to the most
expressive part of its range. After a cadence involving a run of diminished chords, the piece moves,
enigmatically, to C minor in the closing bars. The ending echoes the start of the piece but this time,
the guitar adds harmonic support. It ends on a hushed tonic chord in C minor, and the trombone has settled again in its lower register.
8. Nonet
Nonet is a highly syncopated piece for an unusual chamber ensemble, consisting of clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba, amplified classical guitar, piano, violin, viola and cello. The piece is loosely in rondo form, with a recurring syncopated riff in C minor, which is hammered out by the piano and guitar. Woodwind and brass join in with short, syncopated phrases. The phrases end with descending triplet figures. The piece is harmonically ambitious, with an abundance of extended and secondary dominant chords from the outset. This harmonic intrigue intensifies when the piece modulates to the relative major key of Eb.
After another return of the C minor theme, the piece begins an exciting harmonic ascent through a
variety a keys to the “sharp side” of Eb major, through B major, which leads to a highly expressive
section in the new key of E minor, before landing on a chord of F sharp major at a point in the score
labelled “like a revelation”.
The C minor theme makes one last appearance, but this time, the guitar moves to “full throttle” mode, strumming the tonic chord with the passion of a flamenco master. The piece ends on a tutti fortissimo tonic chord – a strident end to what was a thrilling shared journey.
9. Moments of Reflection – Two Pieces for Violin and Piano
I had written two pieces of lyrical, expressive music for violin and piano. Despite both having an
individual identity, they both seemed to work perfectly as a pair. I was privileged and honoured to
have the pieces professionally recorded by the renowned Ukrainian duo Oleks and Yulia Bozhyk.
Oleks has kindly provided a testimonial about my work in support of my FLCM submission:
“We enjoyed recording Adrian’s pieces for violin and piano. He has a deep understanding of how to
write for both instruments and writes music that is both emotional and of musical interest.”
1. Contemplation for Violin and Piano
Contemplation explores the expressive lower register of the violin. Although it ostensibly makes
modest demands on the soloist, it requires a mastery of tone and bow control and to deliver a
convincing performance.
After a delicate piano introduction, the violin’s first theme rises gently from the low G before settling
on B, the third of the scale. The piano supports with sensitive block chords, which gently shift above a tonic pedal. The violin melody intensifies at the point where the piano moves away from the tonic pedal – and offers rich arpeggio accompaniment. A subsidiary theme marked “Un poco giocoso” is more light-hearted in nature. This is followed by the most emotional part of the piece, an interlude in the parallel minor key marked “Lamentoso”, which is almost confessional in nature. The piano offers a run of bold chords based on an altered secondary dominant (A7), which ushers in an expansive chord of D major to leads back to the opening theme.
When the main theme returns for the final time, the piano accompanies with gentle scalar patterns.
Near the end of the piece, the piano plays a two-bar motive based on the chord of A minor – it has
the character of somebody pausing to collect their thoughts. The piece closes on a wistful chord of Eb major; a final dream-like ascent appropriately marked “With quiet resignation.”
2. On the Banks of Cairnie Burn
On the Banks of Cairnie Burn for violin and piano is a modern Scottish air inspired by the lyricism and expressiveness of traditional fiddle music. Written in 3/4 time and marked Andante, it evokes the flow of a Highland stream through the piano’s gentle arpeggios and the violin’s singing, slurred phrases. Though Cairnie Burn is a fictional river, its name — from the Scots cairn (stones) and burn (stream) -captures the piece’s sense of place and simplicity.
The opening sixteen-bar melody in E♭ major alternates between tonic and dominant harmony,
enriched by a poignant A♭ minor chord that lends a moment of reflection. A second theme broadens the emotional range, introducing modal inflections typical of Scottish folk music, such as Mixolydian colouring and flattened sevenths. A brief interlude in B♭ minor develops the material before the main theme returns, leading to a luminous modulation to E major — a semitone higher — for the closing section.
The piece was recorded by Ukrainian duo Oleks and Yulia Bozhyk, whose interpretation highlights the universality of folk expression. Rooted in Scottish tradition yet realised through global collaboration, On the Banks of Cairnie Burn celebrates music’s enduring ability to transcend national borders and evoke shared emotion.
And One that Didn’t Quite Make the Final Cut
I was going to also include this student/teacher duet – but then realized I’d gone past the time limit – but here it is, anyway:
10. A Hebridean Lullaby for Violin Duet
A Hebridean Lullaby is not a concert piece, but a pleasing duet for a violin teacher and his/her student in a national folk style – loosely based on an air that could be heard in the west of Scotland. It is marked “with a gentle sway” to evoke the soft pace of life in a Hebridean setting. A Hebridean Lullaby is in the key of D major and begins with a simple, double-stopped rocking pattern in the second violin part. A double-stop involving D and Bb evokes the chord of G minor – a simple, yet expressive feature that adds tonal colour to the piece. When the first violin plays Alberti bass harmonies, the second violin takes over the tune.
There is a slight change of tempo for a subsidiary theme, “Meno Mosso” and this section modulates, by means of G#, to the key of A minor. By means of cycles of fifths, this leads naturally back to the original theme. At the end of the piece, violin one plays a sustained high D over a return of the “rocking” double stops, bringing the piece to a restful and satisfying conclusion.