Programme note

repose III was composed for Consort 21, a historical performance chamber ensemble formed with a keen interest in performing contemporary repertoire. Led by Jane Chapman, the Consort comprises students at the Royal College of Music who meet weekly for rehearsals in Spring term, culminating in a showcase concert. This year, the concert took place in the Farinelli room on 16 Mar.

In this piece, a fragment from ‘Loure’ of J. S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 (for solo violin), BWV 1006 is reposed in a new context. Musicians are encouraged to extemporise variations based upon — and reposed on — the fragment. We hear moments of ornamental floridity arising from the collective improvisation, and also points of simple clarity.

I have posted an essay regarding my compositional thought process for this piece.