Works

Over the next year, 'One Year On', 'BBK' and 'Mushy Peas' were completed. In August 2005, I completed the energetic duet, 'Hot Air', in time for a joint three-night, whistle-stop tour of the Edinburgh area with Ben Kearsley. Seeing that Ben shares his initials with a certain BB King, it seemed fitting to dedicate the bluesy 'BBK' to him in the title. 'Mushy Peas' refers to a private joke we had going during the Edinburgh gigs, the Scots being averse to this English delicacy! Its pithy (and unashamedly repetitious) 'folky' theme seemed appropriate.  'One Year On' proved to be the most popular and catchy with friends who heard bits of it as it developed.

There is a loosely 'rondo' structure to many of the pieces. This was not the time for me to over-work ideas and I simply wanted to add to the original sections in an enjoyable and familiar form. There was probably more music cut from these works than eventually included. The delay in completing the laid back 'Rolling Over' was a classic case of writer's block and an unwillingness to finish it off with material that I didn't like as much as the original themes. It is dedicated to our son Rory, born in April 2007, who first rolled over in the week of its completion.