This extract is being used with the permission of BBC Radio 3 
www.bbc.co.uk/radio3

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (with students of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)
Conducted by Pierre-Andre Valade

In celebration of the 100 year Anniversary of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” MONAD was commissioned as a collaborative project between the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Glasgow School of Art with the intention of involving and bringing together all departments from Composition, Ballet, Costume and Set Design and Lighting across the two schools of artistic creation. The musical side of the project involved two composers, myself and Hugh Holton, being commissioned to write one half each of a Ballet in celebration of the themes and spirit of “The Rite of Spring;” collaborating most intensively with Choreographer, Hubert Essakow.

MONAD - Lysis (BBCSSO Extract)

Dehumanised Shock Absorbers is derived from a device present in portable CD players called, Electronic Skip Protection.  This device was introduced to portable CD Players in order to preserve auditory enjoyment by preventing the occurrence of blips, skips and technological errors should the CD Player be jolted or impacted when in use. Some Electronic Skip Protectors employ the use of Shock Absorbers (that convert the impacted energy into static energy so that the impact can have no effect on the delicate CD within) whose aim is to ensure the efficient and successful operation of this technology.

However, more interesting results occur in the way this technology malfunctions when the shock absorbers miss certain impacts, causing the CD to skip.  In this piece, there is an attempt to recreate this effect within the ensemble, but, there is an issue in that; the piece is attempting to recreate technological malfunction in an ensemble of living beings who (inherent to the human condition) are capable of making mistakes at the best of times.  Therefore, instead of attempting to personify technology to recreate a skipping CD in a human way; this piece attempts to dehumaise the ensemble to recreate these mistakes in the most accurate way possible for humans to do so.

Thusly, the ensemble takes on the role of a malfunctioning CD Player; in effect, dehumanising the performers by taking away their humanistic right to make mistakes and asking them to intentionally perform the mistakes of a broken machine.

This work achieved 1st prize in the Workers Union Ensemble's inaugural Heidi Cupp Award 2013.

Performed by Workers Union Ensemble http://www.workersunionensemble.co.uk

Recorded by Darby Carroll at Turner Sims Concert Hall, 28th October 2013.

Dehumanised Shock Absorbers

commissioned by and dedicated to Hannah Quinn

Testimony


I – Arthur Rimbaud

II – Paul Verlaine

Testimony consists of two coexisting pieces that run as one entire work.  The intention of the work as a whole is to portray the characteristics and psychology behind both Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine as individuals and as a pair within their relationship.  However, each piece focuses specifically on one of these individuals.  The first piece “I” focuses on Arthur Rimbaud and attempts to convey the anarchistic and vehement qualities behind his character while also exploring the existential philosophies present in his output as a poet.  The second piece “II” centers on Paul Verlaine, which attempts to explore his psychological instability as a direct result of his relationship with Rimbaud and aims to highlight the tragedy of his confused personal condition.  

Rimbaud and Verlaine are universally infamous for the stories of their tumultuous relationship and both pieces are connected by a direct telling of an altercation between these lovers in which Verlaine, in a state of intoxication and dismay, shot Rimbaud in a confused attempt to stop him leaving their relationship.  Each piece presents the Court Testimonies given by both Rimbaud and Verlaine after this event took place; “I” gives Rimbaud’s commentary on the story and “II” gives Verlaine’s description of the events.  The vocal line in both pieces obsesses over the relentless mantra of “That Heartless,” which is taken, verbatim, from letters the two men exchanged in which Rimbaud signed this phrase before his name.  In the context of this work as a whole, it is used as an additional insight into Rimbaud’s perception of his own character while also attempting to explore what this phrase might have meant to Verlaine.


Recorded live at the World Premiere Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Bridge Week.
Vocalist : Greig Baxter
Actor : Cameron Crighton
Performed by the New Affection & Noise String Orchestra
Conducted by Hannah Quinn

Testimony

Unauthorised Edition takes its inspiration from iconic keyboard solos/riffs of the 80s.  It is an attempt to explore and celebrate the style and sound world of 80s music while also endeavouring to re-contextualise this genre within my own musical language.
The title “Unauthorised Edition” refers to the refusal, or lack of permission I feel I have with regards to my focus on 80s music within this work.  Having only been born in the late 80s, I feel some sense of moral dilemma in thieving resources from a time period that I did not experience first hand; and to then go on to reference the genre in my work, in a way, displays the notion that I am creating an unauthorised piece of work.  The idea of “non-permission” is a key factor in this work and each movement (six in total) explores this concept in various re-contextualisations of the 80s genre.

Movements
I
II
III
IV
V
VI

Recording Live at the World Premiere by Sinae Lee at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Plug Festival 2014

Unauthorised Edition

Commissioned by the Workers Union Ensemble for their On & Off Tour 2015 in association with Sound and Music's Composer Curator Scheme.

Circumstantial Awareness at Zero-Depth Entry attempts to highlight and explore the interaction between/coexistence of logicality and illogicality in an environment that is striving to maintain and achieve one whole cohesive construct.   Therefore, the work attempts to abide by the philosophies outlined in Aristotle’s “Organic Unity” (which puts across the idea that artists must try to create a work, which is by design “man-made”, but that is in it’s own right a separate entity free of the constraints of that artist’s subjective emotions and experiences) while exploring the perspectives of situationist ideology (which endeavours to use distractions, like slogans or demonstrations within everyday environments, that make the viewer of these distractions question that same environment that they find themselves in).  Thusly, the work attempts to apply logic and non-logic to both of these philosophical ideas by creating circumstances in which each can interact, allude, distract, compliment and ultimately, explore.   

Live recording of the Workers Union Ensemble by Darby Carroll at The Warehouse, London, 21st February 2015.
Photo: Markus Kinch

Circumstantial Awareness at Zero-Depth Entry

Houdini's Death Defying Spectacular was commissioned for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Plug Festival 2015 as a result of winning the Craig Armstrong Prize 2014.  This work is dedicated to Gordon McPherson: a true Fortean.


DISCLAIMER: This work implicates and employs practices of Occultism in the performance of this piece.

This work is presented in 6 movements that run as one continuous piece.

I - Incantation
II – Dr Edward Saint Explains
III – Ritual I: Welcome, Mr Houdini
IV – Ritual II: Harry Houdini Speaks
V – Ritual III: The Séance
VI – Beatrice “Bess” Houdini Concludes

Houdini’s Death Defying Spectacular attempts to explore the belief systems behind Spiritualism in the context of “The Séance.”  The work is based on Harry Houdini’s “Final Official Séance” which took place on October 31st, 1936 (on the 10th anniversary of his death) and was conducted by the Medium, Dr Edward Saint, and Houdini’s then widow, Beatrice “Bess” Houdini.  The attempts made to contact Houdini from beyond the grave were, over the 10-years between his death in 1926 and the final séance in 1936, a resounding failure.  This work recounts those events on the evening of Houdini’s “Final Official Séance.”

As well as reciting Houdini’s story, this work endeavours to seek some sign from “the other side” by employing occultist and ritualistic behaviour in an attempted musical séance, with the intention of eliciting a response from the spirit world.  The intention is not necessarily to contact Houdini himself, but to use his story as a means of inspiring some kind of communication from any spirit who may be present and willing to respond.

This piece belongs to a series of concert works for Chamber Ensemble and Multimedia entitled The Ministry of Beliefs, which aims to explore and question systems of belief.  In this context, a “belief” is being understood to be: “an acceptance that something exists or is true, especially without proof,” i.e. the mental representation of truth based on attitude and opinion rather than factual evidence.  Therefore, The Ministry of Beliefs - as a collection of works - attempts to explore themes such as: Religion, Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, The Supernatural, Extra-terrestrial Life and any subject whose logic/conceptualisation is based on assumption.


This recording is taking from a Live Performance given by the Red Note Ensemble and Garry Walker in 2015's Plug Festival at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Houdini's Death Defying Spectacular

Commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in celebration of their 50th Anniversary as part of their 2023/24 Season' Grand Tour of Scotland with principal conductor Maxim Emelyanychev. Premiered at Perth Concert Hall and Theatre on 27th September 2023. Recored live at Glasgow's City Halls on 29th September 2023.

The Origin of Colour takes its inspiration from a short story in Italo Calvino’s Cosmicomics series called Without Colours, which tells a surrealist tale of the creation of colour on Earth. In the beginning, the world exists in whites and greys where objects and people are shapeless entities bumping into each other in translucent static hues. Suddenly a meteor rips through the sky illuminating the world for the first time highlighting purple chasms and orange mountains; earthquakes emit blue fluids to form the first oceans; the violet Sun sets for the first time; the first black night reveals the stars; newly formed pink clouds unleash golden lightning; post-storm rainbows appear and now the world is full of blue skies, yellow fish, green trees and red fires. Calvino’s story is, above all, a love story between two characters who find and lose each other in the chaos of the Earth’s formation of colour. The dazzling quality of these new colours leaves one particular character in fear of this chaotic new world, and they decide to hide in a cave where colour did not reach. One final earthquake collapses the entrance to the cave leaving them isolated from their lover and the colourful new world on the other side.

This new showpiece for Chamber Orchestra attempts to capture Calvino’s creation story in a musical journey that maps the creation of colour on Earth from the hollow, translucent landscape described by Calvino to a kaleidoscopically vibrant world which is both beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.

Thumbnail: From 5 panels of artwork inspired by The Origin of Colour by artist Kirsty Matheson

The Origin of Colour for Chamber Orchestra (Live Excerpt with SCO & Maxim Emelyanychev)

Commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra as part of their 21/22 Season. Premiered by Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Sir James MacMillan on 11th November 2021 at Queen's Hall, Edinburgh. This excerpt was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and performed live by Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by SCO Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze on 1st November 2024 as part of the Nordic Music Days Festival 2024 at City Halls, Glasgow.

Death in a Nutshell is inspired by Frances Glessner Lee’s “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death” which are a series of 20 re-creations of real-life crime scenes that she intricately fashioned in minute detail within dollhouse-sized rooms. These macabre miniature death-scenes were painstakingly handcrafted by Lee throughout the 1940/50s as a learning tool in forensic and crime scene investigation, and often depict a domestic scenario furnished in 1940s décor in which the body of a doll (or dolls) can be found. Each diorama presents a set of clues regarding the events that led up to the doll’s demise including witness statements and important details about the time of year and even the temperature of the room; all of which offer clues to the solution of a puzzle that can be solved from the objects found within each room. These studies have proved so successful that they are still used today and are housed at the Maryland Medical Examiner’s Officer in Baltimore, where the true solutions are kept firmly under lock and key.

This piece focuses on 6 of Lee’s grisly Nutshell Studies in an attempt to represent 6 different crime-scenes as musical miniatures that hint at a variety of elaborate clues and evidence which form their potential solutions. The work is constructed like a house in which we promenade from room to room, starting in the parlour and wandering all the way to the attic, where we find a deceased doll (or dolls) in each room as well a new mystery to be solved. This morbid tour unfolds as follows:

1. Malleus Dei (in the Parsonage Parlour)

2. The Colossus (in the Kitchen)

3. A Drowned Sorrow (in the Dark Bathroom)

4. Interlude pour l’esprit de l’escalier (on the Stairs)

5. The Family Plot (in the Three-Room Dwelling)

6. Hanging upon your every word (in the Attic)

Leave no stone unturned, no note unscrutinised, “convict the guilty, clear the innocent, and find the truth in a nutshell”, in this macabre collection of miniature pieces inspired by a dollhouse unlike any other.

Death in a Nutshell for Chamber Orchestra (Excerpt) - 1.Malleus Dei (in the Parsonage Parlour)

This extract is being used with the permission of BBC Radio 3
 www.bbc.co.uk/radio3

Performed by BBC Philharmonic 
Conducted by Sir James MacMillan

Inertia of a Bona Fide Psychopath takes its inspiration from inescapable psychological phenomena and occurrences that specifically relate to human interactive experiences. The intention is to examine, replicate and explore the logic and non-logic behind human interactions that could potentially cause mild stress, upset or unease; and therefore focuses its conceptual attention on uncomfortable human interactions that can be generally perceived as being “awkward”. The subject matter of this piece refers to the uncontrollable urge to smirk or smile when receiving or giving bad news.

Inertia of a Bona Fide Psychopath (BBC Philharmonic Extract)

Is Heroin Chic a fashion Statement? Is Heroin Chic attractive? This piece centres on my reaction to the fashion image called “Heroin Chic.” Fashion models seemingly always aim to be thin; sometimes with such determination that they have become anorexic or have suffered other medical problems. In the mid-nineties, this waif-like image has been accentuated even more, with models appearing hung over, emaciated and with dark circles under glazed eyes. Heroin Chic is my argument against this now iconic image because I find it to be potentially morally reprehensible. It promotes an unhealthy lifestyle in a world where fashion and image has become a very important aspect of how we view ourselves and others; particularly for an easily-influenced younger generation. I have tried to capture the notion of pop culture in my use of the “Big Band” setup, often using Jazz inspired riffs. However, the lines in the band are upset by the awkward time signature which is representative of my unease with the concept of “Heroin Chic.” The piece starts slowly with violent interjections and bursts of dissonance while an addictive jazz-like riff begins to build. Throughout the development the piece becomes more turbulent as the true meaning of Heroin Chic is revealed.

Heroin Chic

Fuelled was written for and premiered by Ensemble Thing as part of a larger work called “Euphoria.”  The inspiration behind the final product (the larger piece) came from the idea that one can reach ultimate Euphoria (a kind of feverish happiness).  After doing some research on the topic, I found that Euphoria is a false emotion that can only be achieved through drugs, thusly producing a drug induced euphoria.
Fuelled is inspired through the idea of drug induced euphoria and is representative of the two worlds between sobriety and the world of ultimate happiness in a hazed synthetic emotional universe.  The piece switches between these two worlds throughout the piece with the dissonant music representing the “real” sober state of mind and the melodic floating music representative of the drugged world whilst in a euphoric state; however, neither experience in each world remains untouched by the other with interjections of each state spilling in at inopportune moments.  The piece ends with the realisation that euphoria is false and can never last.

The title “Fuelled” was derived from a short programme note that I supplied Ensemble Thing with regards to the idea behind my interpretation of Euphoria:
“A Short Sharp Drug-Fuelled Journey.”        


Fuelled

BOT FLY: From - Most species found in Central and South America, some species found all over the world.
                Why Must You Fear It: Oh boy. ohhhhh boy. Okay, Bot flies.
                                                     There are dozens of varieties of Bot Fly, they're each highly adapted to target a specific animal, they have delightfully descriptive names like Horse Stomach Bot Fly, Sheep Nose Bot Fly and, hey, guess what; one of them is called the Human Bot Fly.
They each have a different and eleborate reproductive cycle, all of which end with a fat, half-inch maggot embedded in living flesh. Feeding.
               More Scary Shit: Here is the best part. The Larvae can grow anywhere in your body, it just depends on where the eggs winds up, which could end up with you having a fat wormy thing in your tear duct; or you Brain!!

The text was taken from a Blog article entitled "5 most deadly insects."
This piece represents the journey of the Bot Fly as it lays it's larvae in you brain while you sleep.

Voices in the Dark

'Rehearsal' is a BBC Arts Online film by Lewis Landini and Laura-Jane MacRae with original music by Jay Capperauld which follows Scottish Ballet's principal dancers Sophie Martin and Chris Harrison as they prepare to perform David Dawson’s acclaimed production of Swan Lake. With unprecedented access, this 24-minute film gives a revealing glimpse into the world of the professional dancer.

Original Music: Jay Capperauld
Piano Performance: Sinae Lee
Audio Supervisor: Howell Jones

Link to 'Rehearsal' the Full Film: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5ydTnXtlcVBsbXGw7R8VsLw/rehearsal-behind-the-scenes-at-scottish-ballet

Jay Capperauld's Album

'Rehearsal' BBC Arts/Scottish Ballet Film - Underscore

'Rehearsal' BBC Arts/Scottish Ballet Film - Beginnings

'Rehearsal' BBC Arts/Scottish Ballet Film - Opening Night

This extract is being used with the permission of BBC Radio 3 
www.bbc.co.uk/radio3

Commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and first performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Dausgaard at City Halls, Glasgow on 10th December 2016

Programme Notes:
“What we want is the conscious man, who carries within him all the traditions that the earth has brought us.  We want a human being who by his/her uniqueness can truly reunify the rest of humanity.  The future of music cannot be seen without the essential contribution of other cultures.  The human spirit can only be cosmic when implementing the whole of its cultural heritage”
- Claude Vivier

Fèin-Aithne is a Scottish Gaelic phrase that translates as ‘Self-Identity’ - Fèin meaning ‘Self’ and Aithne meaning ‘Identity’ - and this piece takes its inspiration directly from the traditions of Scottish Culture.  The work is my attempt to authentically explore, interpret and adapt the traditions of Scottish Culture within my own musical language while also attempting to challenge the accepted constructs, notions and preconceived stereotypes associated with the defined “identity” of Scottish Culture.

The work consists of various quasi-Scottish “folk” melodies that include Piobaireachds, Airs & Jigs, all of which I composed in an attempt to further personalise and internalise my own culture within a musical context.  Moreover, a musical quote is placed at the centre of the work, which comes from Robert Burns’ “Flow Gently Sweet Afton” and is representative of my first interactions with Scottish Culture as a child in Primary School, where we sang Burns’ songs as part of our music lessons.  The River Afton also flows through my home village of New Cumnock, where Burns is perhaps celebrated the most fervently in Scotland, if not in the World.  Ironically, the melody to Burns’ famous song was purportedly composed by an American, which, for me, only intensifies my relationship with Scottish Culture because it represents not an opposition of cultures but symbolises the existence of a more universal, human culture.  In anthropological terms, “it displays the web of connections between people in distinct places and circumstances.”

Therefore, this piece is as much a representation of my own sense of identity as a Scot, as a reflection on my perceptions of the environment within Scotland at this moment in time - socially, politically etc – and its connection to cultures outside itself.  Essentially, the work is my personal attempt to find and reconcile a common ground between local cultures i.e. my sense of self based on where I come from and the connection of a universal culture i.e. a collective sense of unity with “the rest of humanity” as Claude Vivier suggests.

Fèin-Aithne (BBC SSO Extract)

This is a piece I recorded in one take from the book of Ferling Studies for Saxophone which was made famous by Marcel Mule. I decided to upload this to present my skills as a saxophonist in the lyrical and legato playing.

Ferling Study No.17 (performed by Jay Capperauld)

This piece was called Excogitator due to the nature of voice in this work.  Literally talking and thinking through the ideas of the material to be used, the piece does not always find the correct conclusion but tries to makes sense of the ideas to form a cohesive statement.  The piece if heavily influence by pop music and looks to inject a touch of fun into the music.

Excogitator

This is a short piece written for the ferociously virtuosic Clarinetist, Fraser Langton, as a reflection on an earlier piece I wrote entitled "Heroin Chic."
This pieces explores two ideas - the first is that this is the baby version of my larger work and makes use of the same thematic material.  The second is a darker thought on the concept of a baby that is hooked on heroin.

Heroin Baby

The Extract is being used with the permission of BBC Radio Scotland 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/radioscotland

Co-commissioned by James Willshire and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland with generous support from Creative Scotland, PRS Foundation, RVW Trust and Hope Scott Trust. Premiered by James Willshire and the NYOS Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rebecca Miller in Glasgow and Perth in April 2018 as part of the NYOS Spring Tour 2018.

Programme Notes:
Taken from the word meaning “the last individual of its species”, Endlings is an attempt to explore the existential outlook facing many endangered species in our time as well as the results realised by already extinct creatures over the last 50 years or so.  This work, written for Solo Piano and Orchestra, comprises of four distinct sections that run as one whole piece of music.  Each section has its own title, which conveys the essence and intent of each part:

Intro: Codeatha
1.Drowned in Poison
2.The Scorched-Earth Policy
3.The Last Swan Song

Intro: Codeatha attempts to start the work’s narrative at a point where the death of this last individual is taking place, in that, we are witnessing the demise/last heartbeats of an abstract creature that acts as a forewarning of the conclusion - or in musical terms the Codetta – that is to come.

Drowned in Poison tells the story of the Baiji Dolphin – the last individual of which was supposedly seen in 2007 but this species is now thought to have been entirely extinct since 2004 – which resided exclusively in the freshwaters of the Yangtze River in China.  However, due to the eventual pollution of the Yangtze during China’s industrialisation, chemical and residential waste was directed into the river, which poisoned the majority of its inhabitants including the Baiji Dolphin whose numbers declined rapidly throughout this period.  

The Scorched-Earth Policy takes us to a wholly different environment in the form of the Indonesian forests of Sumatra, in which live the Sumatran Orangutan who are currently one of the most prominently discussed endangered species still living today. The demolition of the Orangutan’s home environment mirrors the kind of military siege tactic employed by an attacking force who destroy anything that may be of use to the residents of a location that is under attack by poisoning the water supply, burning crops and farmland etc. in order to impede the sustainability of those residents in the future – this policy is called a “Scorched-Earth Tactic”.  

The Last Swan Song refers to the last known individual Kauaʻi ʻōʻō Bird, which had not been seen since 1985, but was last heard (and recorded by David Boynton) in 1987 on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. This ‘Endling’ individual, who happened to be male, can be heard on David Boynton’s recording singing a mating call for a female who, unbeknown to the male, no longer existed.  Since capturing the bird‘s call in 1987, it is thought that this individual and it’s species are now extinct, leaving only the male bird’s ghostly vocal imprint of a species that was, and a reminder of the limits and fragilities of existence.

Endlings (Live Extract with pianist James Willshire and the NYOS Symphony Orchestra)

Performed by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Music Lab Ensemble conducted by Ilan Volkov with Jay Capperauld on solo soprano saxophone.

It is said that if you fall during a dream, you will never hit the ground…I say you might as well have hit the ground if you never sleep. 

I never hit the ground, but I never slept either.
Every night for three months over the winter of 2011, before I hit the ground, I was jolted awake by a muscular spasm called a “Hypnic Jerk.”  This spasm occurs during a state of “Hypnagogia” which is the world between reality and dreams, meaning that, due to these hypnic twitches, I never slept either fully or comfortably.  Three months is a long time when you experience almost the whole 24 hours of every day.
In this piece, I am attempting to find closure on this restlessness in my life by expressing my emotional and physical response to these hypnic spasms.  Conjuring a literal communication between the worlds of dreams and reality; Hypnic Impact is my melancholic view of sleep where the longing for internal peace would allow me to simply rest.
Hopefully, before I hit the ground, I may find some peace.   


Hypnic Impact

Here is my newest live recording of Heroin Chic with Bryan Allen conducting the 3rd outing of my piece.  This was recorded in a live concert for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Saxophone Showcase on the 5th of November 2012.

Is Heroin Chic a fashion Statement? Is Heroin Chic attractive? This piece centres on my reaction to the fashion image called “Heroin Chic.” Fashion models seemingly always aim to be thin; sometimes with such determination that they have become anorexic or have suffered other medical problems. In the mid-nineties, this waif-like image has been accentuated even more, with models appearing hung over, emaciated and with dark circles under glazed eyes. Heroin Chic is my argument against this now iconic image because I find it to be potentially morally reprehensible. It promotes an unhealthy lifestyle in a world where fashion and image has become a very important aspect of how we view ourselves and others; particularly for an easily-influenced younger generation. I have tried to capture the notion of pop culture in my use of the “Big Band” setup, often using Jazz inspired riffs. However, the lines in the band are upset by the awkward time signature which is representative of my unease with the concept of “Heroin Chic.” The piece starts slowly with violent interjections and bursts of dissonance while an addictive jazz-like riff begins to build. Throughout the development the piece becomes more turbulent as the true meaning of Heroin Chic is revealed.

Heroin Chic (with Bryan Allen)

This piece was written as part of the Composition Marathon held by the Scottish Music Centre in which myself at 9 other composers were asked to write a piece of music in 12 hours to be performed the following day.  The piece was written for Live Music Now's "Flercussion" who performed the piece the day after it was written!
Whilst searching for a concept for my piece regarding the Composition Marathon; I began by looking into marathons and stumbled upon a YouTube video of a man by the name of Georgi Kirilov Georgiev who, whilst running the 100 meter sprint in the European Athletics Championship in Helsinki, breaks his leg which snaps from the knee and bends backwards in the opposite direction!  
This graphic and rather surreal video led me to research the process one goes through to heal such trauma to the body.  One treatment involves a device called a “Fracture Fixation” where by a metallic structure is screwed and bolted to the bone in order to restore shape and stability to the place of trauma so that the shattered bone may correctly heal – in other words; a leg brace.
I then became interested in old pictures I found of the leg braces from the 1800s. 
 To me, the aesthetic of these contraptions were rather barbaric and ever so slightly macabre; and the idea of women of the 1800s concealing one of these monstrous things under their dresses tickled my perception of the 1800s prude.  Thusly, the title “1800s Pin-Up” refers to a fabricated image of a 1800s pin-up model modestly wearing a huge leg brace whilst also referring to the literal “pinning-up” of the leg in order for the healing process to begin.
This piece attempts to convey the healing process through “Fracture Fixation” by taking broken material that is then aided by a framework through which the material can make sense of itself and reform into its original intended entity. 


1800s Pin-Up

Winner of the Dinah Wolfe Memorial Prize and Premiered on the 3rd of May 2013 by Sinae Lee at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Inspired by the highly controversial photograph “Piss Christ” by Andres Serrano; Christus Tantasticus follows the process of tanning via the ancient method of submerging the hide in urine to preserve the skin.  The piece takes its title from a baroque form known as “Stylus Fantasticus” – a style closely related to fantasias but is individualized by short contrasting improvisatory episodes and is free in form.  In conjunction with this style, the modern take on tanning now involves the dyeing and darkening of one’s skin via products such as Tantastic; thusly Christus Tantasticus is inspired by a visualization of Serrano tanning an image of Jesus in urine to preserve him whilst also giving him a fantastical tan.

Taking its material and structure from the tanning process – the idea is to convey a sense of submergence, pounding, drying and the production of a new product.  This relates to the idea that Serrano takes the statue of Jesus and turns it into a 
new product through his art.


Christus Tantasticus

Spitting is inspired by the poem "The Smoking Frog" by Robert William Service in which, a group of three men force a frog to smoke a cigar until it dies.  At a first glance, this poem is rather quirky and, in a way, funny.  It is not until a deeper look into the poem reveals the more tragic meaning behind Service’s intent.  Instead of the Frog becoming the sympathetic character, I found myself feeling sympathy and sadness towards the three men who are taunting the frog.  The idea, for me, is that the frog becomes a higher being whereas the men show their true identity as humans by spitting which, in my interpretation of the poem, becomes a metaphor for man’s ability to destroy.  The men try to taunt the frog by displaying an act that is barbaric, disgusting and destructive and an act that the frog could never possibly want to do, as it [the frog] is not a destructive force on this earth.  Therefore, the title Spitting refers to the moment in the poem, which, for me, reveals the true intent behind Service’s narrative.

Spitting

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Scotland-based saxophonist and composer Jay Capperauld graduated with distinction from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland after studying Saxophone under the tutelage of Josef Pacewicz. As a saxophonist, Jay has worked with some of the major Scottish Orchestras including; the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera and the Scottish Festival Orchestra and has also performed with the Scotland-based Saxophone Quartet, Sax-Ecosse. 
As a composer, Jay has had many successful performances of his works within Scotland; writing for various Instrumentalists and Ensembles including; BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, 
Red Note Ensemble, Live Music Now’s Flercussion, MusicLab, Ensemble Thing, Said Ensemble and has also worked with members of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.  Jay has worked alongside BBCSSO conductor, Ilan Volkov, in "Hypnic Impact," for solo Soprano Saxophone and Wind Orchestra, which featured Jay himself as the soloist. 
More recently however, Jay achieved success by winning 1st prize in the Dinah Wolfe Memorial Prize 2013 with his work for solo Piano, Christus Tantasticus, which premiered earlier in 2013 with internationally renowned pianist, Sinae Lee, as the performer. 
And, Jay has also recently collaborated on a Ballet with Choreographer, Hubert Essakow, which celebrated the centennial anniversary of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.” The Ballet premiered at the Tramway (Glasgow) in May of 2013 with dancers from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and instrumentalists from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre-André Valade. 
Jay is in his final year of studies in the Masters of Composition course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under the tutelage of Gordon McPherson.

Reviews for Jay Capperauld - http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/scotland/classical-review-plug-the-return-of-volkov-royal-conservatoire-of-scotland-1-2259369

http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/music/musiclab-and-glasgow-liederbuch-rsamd-glasgow.13559120

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