My latest work, Polaris, written for Piano, Glockenspiel, Cello, and bowed Crotales.

From the program note: "Polaris is a sparse piece about a breakdown in communication between two opposing forces, represented by a cello and a glockenspiel, failing to find unity. These are two polar opposites sonically, being about as far from each other in timbre and range as can be. The piano is the mediator between the two. For the majority of the piece, the opposing forces take turns to speak, each stating variations of the same line but assuming enmity. Eventually the two opposites start working to understand one another, culminating in the opposing forces swapping tools to gain further understanding. At the end of the piece the instruments return to their own tools and come closer in pitch, eventually stretching to extremes of their respective ranges in a compromise to settle on the same note, finding their common ground."

Polaris was performed on the 1st of April 2015 by members of Spectrum, the University of Aberdeen Contemporary Music Ensemble, conducted by John F. Hudson.

Polaris

Everything I upload is absolute trash but who honestly gives a damn

Contemporary composer from Scotland, currently undertaking PhD research. Influences range from minimalism to modernism to acousmatic music to progressive rock with plenty in between.

Polaris

Simon Hellewell