Category Archives: Large ensemble

ANIMA, for large ensemble (2008)

Duration: c. 9 minutes
Orchestration: 14 players: fl, cor, bcl(+cl), bsn) / hn, tpt, tbn / pf, 1perc (kit+vib) / 1.1.1.1.1

ANIMA was commissioned by Ensemble 10-10 of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and was premiered by Ensemble 10-10 conducted by Clark Rundell, on 19th November 2008 at St George’s Hall, Liverpool.

Download a perusal score here

Buy the score here

(Parts available on hire from Music Sales)

Listeners’ Note

ANIMA came about from many different ideas, influences and inputs while it was being composed.  The first were some striking photographic images by the Brazilian artist Fagner Bibiano, depicting faceless human forms in vulnerable, fearful or exposed poses in banal, surreal surroundings, often with their identifying features and faces obscured.  It is from this series of images that the piece gets its name.  These images came to my attention through research for my first opera, which is currently being written with the librettist Ross Bowman.  It too is an exploration, through an everyday family an absurd, surreal situation, of conflict, fear and vulnerability.  You could say that this piece is a ‘prologue’ to the opera, although none of the music is actually the same.  Finally, I stole scraps of words from the Anima Christi catholic prayer, which apart from some reasonably visceral words, doesn’t have anything to do with the opera or Fagner’s images, but I liked them.  Somehow they make a connection.

Text

(excerpts taken from the ‘Anima Christi’, a devotional prayer of the Catholic church)