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commissioned by INNER CITY BRASS for the 2022 Spitalfields Festival
The best stories are like a favourite pair of boots – they might be well-worn or even have the odd hole, but there’s a familiar rightness to them – and you never know quite where they might take you. Storyshaped is a musical exploration of the elements and archetypes that give us that intangibly familiar feeling in the stories we love best.
There is no specific plot, but each movement depicts a notable stage in the traditional hero’s journey. The titles of the individual movements are oblique references to various works of literature and film, from very ancient to very modern, that relate to these points in some way.
i. All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter
Humble origins and a call to adventure
ii. The Fool That Follows Him
Gathering a motley band of fellow travellers
iii. Do The Stars Gaze Back?
A face that could launch a thousand ships, and a promise
iv. All That Glitters Is Not Gold
An enchanted trove of wonders deep beneath the mountains
v. Manxome Foe
An ancient terror awakes, and threatens to raze the land. A great battle follows
vi. White Shores
Sacrifice, and a tragic loss
vii. Murmur Of Glory
Victory, and a triumphant return. Home seems a little smaller now
