The Excelsior Suite: A Journey of Sound and Sea

This suite is a contemporary work for harp, woven together from the rhythmic pulse of the North Atlantic. It's a sonic voyage that explores water as a source of life, inspiration, and transformation, creating a

soundscape that reminds us of the natural world's majesty and our deep connection to it, beyond the noise of modern life.

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The project was born from an extraordinary journey in May 2024. As a participant in the North Atlantic Islands Residency, I sailed aboard the century-old fishing smack, the Excelsior LT472, from Orkney to the

Faroe Islands and back to Shetland. This experience—at sea, surrounded by waves—is where the seeds for this music were sown.

The Excelsior Suite is a five-piece work, flowing together like a river of overlapping waves. It aims to transport you to the ever-changing, magical world at sea, drawing inspiration from the motion of the boat, the ebb and flow of conversation, island life, and field recordings of the sea and the working boat.

At its heart, this suite is a gentle reflection on ecology and climate. It captures the unique dynamic of life on board: the shared anxieties and joys, the moments of calm and turbulence, and the profound

collaboration that happens when you're truly connected by nature and the elements.

This is more than music; it's a direct line to the ocean's soul.