...shadows that in darkness dwell...
Timothy Cooper
I imagine the character of John Dowland, a reclusive and private man with a mysterious past: as a musician in the court of the Danish King, Dowland was also working as an English spy. Dark, shadowy and melancholic the ensemble inhabit a labyrinthine sound world that explores the mood and feeling of Dowland’s sombre set of seven Pavanes. This isn’t a piece about subterfuge but one that explores the very darkest depths present in Dowland’s work through a heightened approach to performing on early instruments. Each verse of Dowland’s work is represented in an extended exploration of the mood and sentiment of the text in three main passages titled Flow, Fled and Darkness.
Pitch: A415
Instrumentation notes:
Recorder - Renaissance Treble and Tenor Recorders
Composed for Baroque Cello with baroque bow
Instrumentation Genre Ensemble and electronics
Tag orchestra
Duration 18 minutes
Instrumentation Tenor recorder [1 player]; Countertenor [1 player]; Theorbo [1 player]; Cello [1 player]
Performances of this work
| Date | Venue | Performer | Link |
| 10/12/2019 (*premiére) | Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK | ||
| 11/12/2019 | Hug and Pint, Glasgow, Scotland, UK | ||
| 12/12/2019 | Belmont Film House, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK |
Upcoming events
- 22 Oct 2026, 18:00
[Neil Smith: Try Try Try (soundfestival 2026)] - 28 Oct 2026, 18:00
[Composing for Media - NMS Peer to Peer session 3] - 29 Oct 2026, 19:30
[BBC SSO: Enrico Chapela's 'Antiphaser' (Concerto for electric violin and orchestera)] - 30 Oct 2026, 18:00
[James Weeks: weatherworld quartets (soundfestival 2026)] - 31 Oct 2026, 18:00
[Mimi Doulton (soprano): No Man is an Island (soundfestival 2026)]
Recent updates
Works
- Ransacking, by Tom Macfadyen
- Les Mélodies Nutritives, by Julien Lonchamp
- Sòlás Collective - Improvised, by Tom Macfadyen
Events
- Late Night soundsession: Tom Macfadyen
- Composing for Media - NMS Peer to Peer session 3
- Neil Smith: Try Try Try (soundfestival 2026)
Projects
- Pete Stollery conducts Joe Stollery premiere
- Aides... mémoires... Project album launch
- On a Wing and a Prayer
Opportunities
- Red Note Factory Weekend – 17 & 18 October 2026
- Noisy Nights – Call for Scores
- Nordic Music Days 2027: Call for Works
