Simon Holt

Daedalus Remembers is the third part in a trilogy called 3 for Icarus. Daedalus was Icarus' father and a famous craftsman. He once forged a magic sword for Peleus which had a property of making its owner victorious inbattle and he also created the labyrinth of King Minos of Crete in which the Minotaur (half bull half man) was imprisoned. The second part of the trilogy is entitled Minotaur Games after Troy games a kind of labyrinthine danceinvolving cords (Ariadne’s thread?).At one point in the myth Daedalus and Icarus are also imprisoned in the labyrinth. They escape by means of wings which Daedalus has made from feathers and wax. Sadly despite his father’swarnings Icarus flies too close to the sun in a fit of hubris and the wings melt causing him to plunge to his death. Daedalus alights safely on a beach in Sardinia and after he has collected his thoughts remembers his son’sfall and scenes from his own past life. Have the gods paid him back for the death of his nephew Talos whom Daedalus killed in a fit of jealousy by pushing him off the top of a temple in the Acropolis? Daedalus rants and sorrows dark memories nag persistently.Daedalus Remembers is scored for solo cello with flugelhorn two horns percussion cimbalom harp three violas four cellos and two double-basses.

This new Opera was first performed in 1998 in Huddersfield by Opera North. Designed for the modern stage it utilises only a small cast and orchestra albeit one with a good variety of percussion! The libretto is adapted by thecomposer from the play ‘The Love of Don Pemperlin for Belisa in the Garden’ by Feredico Garcia Lorca translated into English by David Johnston. The plot revolves around the ill-fated marriage of Don Pemperlin an ageing bachelorand his beautiful neighbour Belisa which was suggested by Pemperlin’s maid. Tricks and misunderstandings abound and because of them Pemperlin ends by stabbing himself and dying even as Belisa proclaims her love for him.

First performance by the Nash Ensemble (Philippa Davies alto flute/piccolo Lawrence Power viola andLucy Wakeford harp) on 12th July 2004 at the Pittville Pump Room Cheltenham as part of the CheltenhamInternational MusicFestival.

Clandestiny is scored for soprano and organ and lasts approximately 20 minutes. It is a collection of ten poems or quotations from the American poet Emily Dickinson. The movements vary in length from 16 seconds to sevenminutes. Although the set is for soprano and organ Friday and The Pedigree of honey-1 are soprano solos and Circumference is for organ alone.

This song was written for the NMC Songbook and recorded by Omar Ebrahim.'Raju Raghuvanshi is unmarried; he's forty five; his parents are dead; no siblings. He's had to move to Bamni nearby. For here in Katra where helived they rush into their houses locking all the doors locking all the windows crying 'Ghost! Ghost! Ghost! Ghost! Ghost!' at the sight of him. He was in prison you see where he was hospitalised. Rumours were rife: he'sfallen ill; he's been moved to another town; he's dead; cremated. Ganeshi his cousin's wife performed the last rites so his spirit could rest. 'Imagine our surprise when he turned up alive ' she said 'We thought he was dead.'Poor Raju. Poor Raju Raju Raghuvanshi; he's technically a ghost. 'Now I have to prove I'm alive. N.V. Vayangankar Chief of Police will help me. I have property you see a few acres of land. I know their game. They shall notbeat me. I say to them: 'But can't you see that my feet are the right way round? If I was a spirit or a ghost they'd turn backwards'. I was not gone long now I don’t exist.''

This work was commissioned by Roger Chase. First performance on 16th February 2009 at the Stradivari Music and Arts Center Chicago.

Written for chamber ensemble. This work was commissioned by the BBC. First performance on 6th September 2004 at the Victoria and Albert Museum London as part of the BBC Proms Chamber Music Series by the Britten Sinfoniaconducted by Nicholas Daniel.

This is part 2 of the cycle 'A Ribbon Of Time' composed for the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Chamber-scale Composition 2002.

Work for Flute Oboe Clarinet and Cello written in 1980. Parts available: CH66869-01