Photograph © Paddy Ryan (white-necked raven above Mt Kilimanjaro)
In 2014 Bill walked up Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Sitting beside his tent at basecamp, he watched white-necked ravens duetting, mid-air. This included flying in mirror formation – one upside down beneath the other – parting, then soaring directly towards each other and clasping talons. This aerial display in the oxygen-poor air at c. 5800m left a lasting impression and inspired the poem Circus which he set for SATB choir, solo soprano and solo piano for a commission from King’s School, Worcester. The piece is currently being revised.
More Fieldwork Pieces
Mountain Hare
Finzi Scholarship piece inspired by Mountain Hares in the Cairngorms. Classical orchestra version (2,2,2,2; 4,2,0,0; timp; strings) and potential chamber version (violin, cello, piano, clarinet). Bill also wrote a travel…
The Singing Glacier
For baroque ensemble. Collaborative response to glaciers, commissioned by The Little Baroque Company. In 2016 Bill and the poet Helen Mort climbed in East Greenland.
Carrownagappul
A commission from the Harry Woolhouse Charitable Trust to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Imperial College Sinfonietta. Inspired by one of Europe’s major raised bogs, Carrownagappul, Co. Galway.