commissions

I enjoy a wonderful variety of opportunities making emotive music and sensitive sound design for bespoke commissions and other artforms including dance, theatre, film and installations. Responding to each brief with my developed intuition and deep compassion, I love tuning into and then supporting the creative vision of others.

Get in touch via my contact page if you’d like to talk about how I could contribute to your project.

“I wish for baby Lily”, a sound poem for Walk The Plank

A commission for Walk the Plank outdoor theatre company, presented as part of their Wild Wanders trail which was at Hollingworth Country Park, Rochdale in October 2024. 

We worked with 11 classes of primary school children (ages 7-11) asking them about their thoughts and wishes for their world both now and in the future. I then recorded their statements from in a pop up recording studio we set up at Rochdale Town Hall. With writer Kim Wiltshire, we arranged a verbatim poem with the kids’ contributions and I made a soundtrack to go with it. Baby Lily was an 8.5 metre puppet doll, with whom the schoolkids connected.

A music, sound and light commission for Manchester Histories

I am very grateful to have been invited to make a new electronic music/sound piece to mark the 200th anniversary of the University of Manchester. I chose to honour the adventurous ancestors who have passed through the University, especially those who might not have been seen, heard nor recognised. I was also asked to consider key pioneers Alan Turing and Delia Derbyshire as inspirations for the new work, whose legacy are now connected with Manchester.

While I know a fair bit about Delia’s work, it was humbling to learn more about Alan’s work. The title “A Tap, a Click and a Thump” refers to Alan Turing’s comment about the sounds the Manchester computer made. I worked with then student composers Sarah Keirle and Nico Garcia-Peguinho and invited light/text artist Elisa Artesero to support the 16 minute music/sound piece with immersive light and text art. The piece was presented at Whitworth Art Gallery as part of Manchester Histories Festival 2024. Click here to listen to this “hypnotic and soothing” piece.

 A verbatim poem set to music with NHS nursing staff, for Lime Arts

I love my work with Lime Arts, whose mission is to to embed the arts and creativity in the culture of healthcare at Manchester Foundation Trust, thereby improving the health and wellbeing of staff and patients. 

Working with writer/poet Kim Wiltshire, we were commissioned to produce a verbatim poem set to music with voice contributions from NHS nursing staff at Manchester Royal Infirmary, part of Manchester Foundation Trust. 

It was amazing to hear all the voices & perspectives, with this snapshot of their experiences working on a busy ward. The dedication and passion for their work shone bright. I then aimed to support the edited and arranged voices with music which they thankfully feel honours their work.

With thanks to Lime Arts, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and the staff from one ward who participated on one day. 

Coolicon Lampshade Sound Installation

My Coolicon Sound Bath installation had its first outing at Deliaphonic Festival in Coventry (March 2022) and gets invited to play our every now and then. Deliaphonic presents events to honour the late great electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire (1937-2001) in her hometown in the Midlands.

With production help from maker/builder Steven Lopacki, we set up a collection of the lovely Coolicon steel lampshades that have a resonant gong quality. Visitors activated and explored the sonorities of these UK made steel lampshades with soft beaters in the reverberant space of Coventry Cathedral.

This installation is intended to honour Delia’s imagination, resourcefulness and sensitive way of composing electronic music with tape. The Coolicon Sound Bath invites a deeper listening to uncover the magic in the mundane, the surprising musical potential in everyday objects.

Commissioned by Deliaphonic & supported by Coolicon who provided me with various sizes of slight second lampshades (it’s a 15 stage enameling process!).

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY COOLICON LAMPSHADE SOUND INSTALLATION

It was an honour to be invited to be part of a project for Coventry City of Culture, creating “Echoes of Invention” – a homage to the work of Coventry born Delia Derbyshire and Barry Bermange.

Bladder & String Theatre collected sound bites from diverse Coventry residents about their personal and profound ideas on the topic of Faith. We then collaboratively arranged the vocal contributions and set them to music. All the music was only created with 1 human singing voice and micro editing and creative manipulation of the spoken voices.

Click here to find out more about “Echoes for Invention”

My third time producing music/sound design for dance. I always wanted to explore the physical yet intangible language of movement with sound, music and voice. I produced and performed a live soundtrack for Company of Others, supporting a dance theatre show telling powerful stories of endings. Funded by Arts Council England, and many supportive partners.

It was such an honour to be invited to collaborate with artist/video art pioneer Madelon Hooykaas. Madelon worked with both Delia Derbyshire and Li Yuan Chia (look up both of these amazing humans if you don’t know them). Commissioned by Manchester Art Gallery, LYC Foundation and supported by Paul Mellon Centre.