Programme Note:

The Breakers are a pair of two contrasting songs depicting the various moods of the sea. The

first is tempestuous, depicting a violent storm, where I set the text of E.H. Brodie a poet from the

Victorian era. In this dramatic opening movement, the piano has toccata-like ostinati rhythms

where the brisk quaver pulsation is set against a singing long line in the voice. Over the course

of this movement, the narrative follows how a storm approaches, arrives and subsides by the

narrative voice, sung by the mezzo soprano. I wanted to capture the visceral feeling of being at

sea during a storm, with the athletics by the duo replicating both the violent nature of the sea as

well as the panic and fear of the sailors trapped at sea.

The second movement is pensive and thoughtful, setting the text of William Sharp’s Ode to a

Nightingale in April. Despite this text not being distinctly about the sea, there is an essence of

the moon reflecting on still water. This movement is contemplative with an unfurling melodic

line, where piano shimmers and portrays the dancing phantom through various guises. The

music gradually becomes more excited, with the mezzo and harmony moving upwards. As we

reach the empathic climax, the opening harmonies return now fully voiced in the piano. After

which, the music fades away with musical echoes of the material that preceded it.