W O R K I N G W
I T H A R T I S T S I N O T H E R M E D I U M S
Words words words...
Rory has had the good fortune to work with two Scottish poets, Dilys Rose and Claudia Daventry, on several important projects.
Dilys produced a stunning libretto for the opera Kaspar Hauser, Child of Europe based on the true story of the feral child from Nuremberg.
The opera was performed in Scotland and Germany and won the stage category in the 2010 British Composer Awards.
She also wrote a moving set of poems about motherhood which resulted in the lyrical work Watching Over You for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble premiered by Karen Cargill and the Red Note Ensemble.
The collaborations with Claudia resulted in the atmospheric Selkie Song for chamber choir commissioned for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and the 2017 song cycle commission from the Romney Marsh Festival entitled Songs From the Marshes written for the BBC Singers.
"Kaspar Hauser" (RCS)
photo by Ken Dundas
"Songs from the Marshes" performed by the BBC Singers at Jam on the Marsh 2018
Moving Pictures & Stories...
For the 2016 Year of Architecture, Rory was commissioned to write the music for a sound and light project entitled "Hinterland" which was held in the ruins of the extraordinary St Peter's Seminary at Cardross on the Firth of Clyde.
Rory has also worked with the film director Murray Grigor on two documentaries, Ever To Excel which marked the 600th anniversary of St Andrews University, and Beatus, The Spanish Apocalypse, a film exploring the terrifying medieval illuminated manuscripts first made in the 8th century by the abbot Beatus.
Both films were premiered in New York with the former narrated by the legendary Sean Connery.
"Ever to Excel" Documentary
"Beatus, The Spanish Apocalypse" Documentary
In 2001, Rory made settings of 8 of Vikram Seth’s wonderful Beastly Tales for narrator(s) and small ensemble and three of these were performed in Edinburgh by Virginia Radcliffe’s imaginative company LicketySpit and players from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. It is hoped that further performances will happen once the Covid pandemic is under control.
"Beastly Tales" by
Vikram Seth