Echoes from the Labyrinth

Greek myth, legend and cultural practice has been a source of inspiration for me throughout my time composing music. Interpreting myths has supplied me with a rich vein of storytelling to help shape sound worlds.

My largest undertaking exploring this was my dance-opera of 2019 Orpheus, which attempted to tell this ageless myth with a contemporary lens. My next major venture will be Labyrinth, a work which will explore the myth of Theseus, Ariande, the Minotaur and their journeys through the Labyrinth. This new piece is a test piece exploring certain harmonic and melodic ideas which will feed into the larger theatre work.

This piece is divided into 5 sections: the descent, the labyrinth, the journey, the minotaur & the ascent. Musically the work is constructed around C and E flat, there relationship and various implied harmonies.

This piece is divided into 5 sections: the descent, the labyrinth, the journey, the minotaur and the ascent.

The first and last sections attempt to depict the journey down and out of the dank, dark and twisting tunnels of the labyrinth under the palace of Knossos, respectively.

‘The labyrinth’ section is a series of slow moving and stale chords that use the relationship and various implied harmonies of C and E flat as their core. These chords form the harmonic centre of the piece. Meandering melodies from the flute and clarinet enter, depicting ‘the journey’ through the labyrinth. These musicians are placed behind the audience, and literally journey from there to the stage. As they arrive on stage, we are confronted by ‘the minotaur,’ in solo viola form.

This music builds to a section that is violent, fast and ever changing, depticing the battle between Theseus and the Minotaur in two double cannons using the various musical themes already presented in the piece. This culminates in a breathless section with a cello melody and a sustained viola note depicting the final breaths of the beast. Our heroes then ascend back to the sunlight.