Nocturnes

for Soprano & Piano.

I - O Sleep

II - Rests at Night

Duration: 10'

Movements can be performed individually, or as a complete cycle.

Nocturnes sets two contrasting texts on the theme of sleep & insomnia. The music emulates this

restlessness in the piano textures, where the first text sets an extract from a soliloquy in Henry

IV. In this setting, the piano creates a gentle rocking motion with the musical idea is constantly

shifting within the metre, emulating an anxious tone. The soprano is contemplative and creates a

calm atmosphere, often imitating the pianos gestural content. The song then reaches a climax

where the music becomes more animated, creating a point of desperation for peace, before

fading away on the opening stanza ‘O sleep, O gentle sleep, natures soft nurse’.

The second movement sets the evocative poetry of Emily Dickinson to complement the

expansive first song. In this movement, I explore the resonance and rich harmonies in the piano,

to reflect the illusive poem. The piano features shimmering textures that enables the soprano to

seemingly float above the resonance. From this bed of sound, I use the voice to explore

Dickinson’s poetry about death or rest. The piece closes with a repetition of ‘and the sun go on’,

reflecting on the duality of a life, rest and death.

Recording