Explorations - 20 Essays In and Around Music, Sound, Literature and Places

The essays are divided into three sections: those featuring some of the composers whose music has been of particular significance to me; then a group of pieces on compositional matters including aspects of style and form such as minimalism, improvisation and repeats; and finally a miscellaneous group on diverse topics including education, the sonic environment and the meaning of music and art in general.

The final essay entitled “Explorations” is a summary of those many enthusiasms that I have indulged in over the years, but actually, all the essays are attempts at sharing my love of music, sound, literature and places without in any way pretending to be authoritative. In fact I discovered that the more I try to write about a subject dear to me, the more aware I am of not knowing nearly enough about it. Therefore I plead guilty if it is levelled at these pages that enthusiasm outpaces concrete knowledge, although I would hope that it could not be said of them, as John Butler Yeats once said of his more famous son’s opinions, that they are drawn “from the depths of (my) ignorance”. I have tried not to theorise, feeling that there are altogether too many theories in the world. Some of these items celebrate, some explore. They are simply the results of numerous interests which I just do not want to keep to myself any longer. Whether this is wise or not - let the reader judge. The least I can hope is that I might stimulate others to explore some of the subjects which have inspired and indeed kept me going (mentally that is) through six decades.