Bay of Fundy – a short opera for soprano and piano received its world premiere in Nova Scotia, Canada in August 2014. This video features soprano Vania Chan and pianist Simon Docking. It was inspired by Fiona’s sister in law with a few extras added in with poetic license!
Songs from Kate O’Brien is a song cycle composed in collaboration with writer Mary Coll. The songs are from the perspective of characters from novels by Kate O’Brien. There are eight songs in total – four for contralto and four for baritone. Here are some excerpts from the contralto songs performed by Sarah Ellen Murphy and Adam Collins at the Opera at Castalia Festival 2014.
Flutter fossil fox is a set of pieces for children’s choir inspired by the beasties of the Burren. The piece was composed as part of Bells across the Burren, an Arts Council of Ireland Artist in the Community scheme supported by the Clare Arts Office and the Burrenbeo trust.
Adventures of a curious character was written as part of the Association of Irish Composers ‘Freedom of the composer’ project in 2010. The name refers to the title of the physicist Richard Fenyman’s biography and also alludes to Fiona’s rather mischievous (now deceased!) cat, Eric Catie.
Where are the Bongos? Feynman played the bongos in a mariachi band! After Benvenuto Cellini’s autobiography Feynman is my favourite autobiography. Lately I came across this which gives a totally different perspective on him
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/02/i-love-my-wife-my-wife-is-dead.html
Best wishes
I must check that out!