a commission for the RTE National Concert Orchestra. (Premiere pending)
Please click on the images to listen to a virtual Vienna Symphony Library realisation of the music.
Movement One - Leaving Harbour
A nervous young Mariner, press ganged into the British Navy waits to board a galleon. At length the ship sets sail and a fair breeze billows the sails launching them swiftly on his way.
Movement Two - The Crow's Nest
Assigned as look out the reluctant Mariner is made to climb to the crow's nest.
Movement Three.
After many days at sea the crew find themselves in the doldrums. But before long the wind picks up and soon a storm builds.
Pitched and tossed on the high seas the ship is wrecked.
The sole survivor, the Mariner floats towards a desert island upon whose shores he sees a Mermaid.
Movement Four.
As she sings to him he is overcome by desire.
Movement Five.
The Mariner is entranced by the Mermaid's ethereal watery dance.
Movement Six.
The Mermaid leads the Mariner to her submarine layer.
Movement Seven.
The Mariner enters the Mermaid's garden and feasts on the Fruits de Mer.
Movement Eight
The Mariner awakens to find that the Mermaid has gone.
At the water's edge he sings for her return.
Movement Nine
The Mariner's hopes are raised when he sees he form growing out of a wave.
Eagerly he swims out to join her.
Movement Ten.
Far out to sea the exhausted Mariner begins to drown.
As he does so the Mermaid appears and drags him down to the depths from whence he will never return.
