‘Where Are Your Architecture Critics Now?’ is a haunting yet beautiful sonnet which explores the return of the people of Alderney to the island which they were forced to evacuate during World War Two. Alderney was one of the few British territories that the Nazis annexed during WW2, but in spite of this, it remained relatively untouched compared with much of mainland Britain which had been heavily bombed.
   Through the music, I have tried to capture the familiarity, nostalgia and warmth of returning to somewhere you know, with the unease of seeing it warped through tragedy. I have replicated the sounds of the island through a blend of acoustic and electronic music, distorting the perception of reality and contributing to the ghostly nature of the poem, and more broadly the feeling of returning to somewhere that has been lost in time.

The vocals on this piece are provided by fellow RNCM student Charlotte Naylor. The piece itself was premiered at the 2023 Rosamond Prize concert.

Where Are Your Architecture Critics Now?

This arrangement was based on a song that was released by a rock band called Sun Kil Moon on their 2014 album Benji, This is a song which has a lot of emotional resonance with me and became an obvious choice when I decided on the pieces I needed to arrange. The lyrics for the song explore the random death of the songwriters cousin, with greater themes like chance, love and mortality being pondered.

My arrangement is for string quintet (two violins, viola, cello and double bass) for I feel this song has always lent itself to that arrangement despite no one having ever arranged this song for strings. In my subjective opinion, I believe the strings, above all other instruments in the orchestra, can convey both the negative and positive emotions felt by humans better than any other instruments can. And that is what this arrangement is, one of sadness and disbelief but also one of hope and a love of life.

Carissa - String Quintet Arrangement

Northern soul has always thrived on the rare, the obscure and the undiscovered. We visited Stockport’s Masonic Guildhall to hear from those who have dedicated their lives to the movement, which emerged in dancehalls of northern England back in the 60s. 

We discover what it means to be part of “the scene” and discuss the history of iconic 70s and 80s venues such as Manchester’s Twisted Wheel and Wigan Casino - where the original all-nighter was born.

Photo: Through the Eyes of Ruby

Floor Shakers to Cry For: A Northern Soul Story

skidrow

Boxing is a sport that requires great discipline, dedication, focus and passion. It's these qualities that have laid the foundations of Jimmy Egan's Boxing Academy throughout its 40-year existence.

Based in the heart of a council estate in Wythenshawe, Manchester, it was here where it all began for Tyson Fury. Find out from its current crop of young amateurs, just how big an effect the gym, its coaches and the sport has on their lives.

Music: Will Sharland
Photo: Through the Eyes of Ruby

Carissa - String Quintet Arrangement

Will Sharland

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