looking out the window

"Concert-opener" for 20 strings composed for the Britten Sinfonia

Monkish (excerpt)

The Turn - Live With dancer Colin Dunne, Irish Chamber Orchestra

The Turn - Dance in Your Blood

Meditation for Four Human Hands - for Prepared Piano & EBow

String Trio - Chambered Cairn
Based on the ancient Orkney site of Maeshowe, an ancient burial cairn that aligns with the setting sun on the eve of the Winter solstice.

Chambered Cairn - String Trio

Paddy's Leather Breeches : Scarce O' Tatties

Performed by Nevis Ensemble, conducted by Jon Hargreaves.

commissioned by Nevis Ensemble for their inaugural tour of Scotland in August 2018.
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The starting point for Attach was ‘Circles in a Circle’ (1923), a work by the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky. Referring to this composition, Kandinsky wrote, “The circle is the synthesis of the greatest oppositions. It combines the concentric and the excentric in a single form, and in balance." I started to think about how the communities that we all belong to are in some ways exponents of “the greatest oppositions” that Kandinsky refers to. On the one hand these small communities and their comprised individuals tend to strive for independence and may espouse a collective set of opinions, beliefs or a sense of pride. In summary, there is a desire to have their unique voices heard. On the other hand, these communities may also aspire to feel like a microcosm of society in broader terms. They may want to feel connected to neighbouring communities and ultimately feel like their voices can be aligned, strengthened and united with the voices of surrounding communities. The ebb and flow of these opposing states heavily impacted the way I thought about organising the orchestra and eventually manifested into four distinct groups of musicians. The physical spatialisation of the groups was loosely informed by ‘Circles in a Circle’, and organised to situate three chamber-sized groups within a large circle of string players. I was interested in the resultant interactions between each group’s musical material and whether they try to have their individual voices heard or contribute towards the voice of one larger entity.

Attach (for orchestra) - 2 excerpts [2018]

Commissioned by Drake Music Scotland and Hebrides Ensemble for 'Diversions' in the Queen's Hall Edinburgh. 

The work tries to create a platform where accessible music technology can simply play alongside 'traditional' orchestral instruments and stand shoulder to shoulder with the past. 

The nod to Stravinsky highlights the sentiment - a group of instruments playing together. 

The work is four movements long

I - Searching
II - Hoquetus
III - Chorale
IV - Finale

Performed by the Hebrides Ensemble and Digital Orchestra, conducted by Ben Lunn

Symphonies Of Instruments (2019)

This piece was written in collaboration with writer Martin Raymond as part of Refugee Week held at Stirling University. Displayed at the university is "The List" which traces information relating to the deaths of 34, 361 refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants who have lost their lives within, or on the borders of Europe since 1993.

Mare Nostrum, 'Our sea' in Latin was the Roman name for the Mediterranean. It is also the name of the Italian governments year-long operation in 2013 in response to unprecedented losses of refugee ships around the island of Lampedusa.

The number, 34, 361, has been inscribed into the piece within the time signatures as a stark reminder of the vast and ever growing number of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who have lost their lives.

Performed by The Edinburgh Quartet and Soprano Stephanie Strachan.

"Mare Nostrum" for Soprano and String Quartet

Composer | Arranger | RCS Graduate | aileensweeney.com

"Mare Nostrum" for Soprano and String Quartet

Aileen Sweeney

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