1986 Experimental Evidence, a series of short operas for television, each one featuring an important scientific experiment. Ahead of its time!

 

2002 When I Was Waiting, a music-theatre piece based on Albert Camus’ L’Etranger, directed by Rufus Norris.

(The Camus estate's conditions were brutal.) 

 

2004 Crossing, a site-specific piece for the Hamlyn Hall, Royal Opera House, directed by Felix Barratt. An endless train of performers crosses the space, like a pilgrimage.

 

2007 Hen and Stag, a.k.a. Happy Together, directed by Luca Silvestrini. A site-specific piece for the Brighton Festival. Two marauding choruses, one of women, one of men, sing their way through the streets, independently. Finally they meet in a scuzzy nightclub.

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2009 The Arrival (Luminato), site-specific piece, choirs on boats, harbour, Toronto, directed by Tim Albery

 

2009 The Miracle Of St. Margaret, site-specific piece, Stratford, a collaboration between the RSC and homeliveart, directed by Roxana Silbert. A piece about miracles, and martyrdom, investigating the form of the mystery play.

 

2010 High Men, a festival of men with high voices (Michael Chance, Anthony Hegarty, Klaus Nomi, Justin Hawkins, Iestyn Davies, Martin Jacques.....), featuring a choir of counter-tenors. 

 

2011 White Noise, an immersive site-specific choral event for the Voice Project, Norwich. 

The piece is about language – the language that surrounds us and assaults us, the manipulation of language,

language as a weapon, language as seduction tool, language as fog……..

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2012 Remote (Kronos Quartet), a piece about remote places

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2012 Opera on the Canal (ROH2, Cultural Olympiad)

A pontoon, towed by a tug, sets out from Brentford and makes its way, via the Grand Union, Regent’s and Hertford Union Canals, to the Olympic site. The story of the canals and the surrounding area gradually emerges through sung performance.

 

2013 21 Songs (Brighton Festival), directed by Charlie Morrissey.

21 radically different versions of the Kylie Minogue song Can’t Get You Out Of My Head, performed, one a day throughout the festival, in 21 different locations by 21 different groups of performers. The daily events are filmed and edited, and the compilation shown on the last day of the festival.

 

2015 We Have Always Lived in the Castle, opera, libretto by Timothy Knapman, directed by Orpha Phelan.

An opera based on Shirley Jackson’s wonderful, scary, hilarious novel about two sisters living in a strange mansion.

Listen here: the teenage Merricat, charming, delightful, funny, dangerous, sings her obsessions. Performed by Aruhan Galieva.

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2016 The Devil and the Dyke (Brighton Festival), site-specific piece for huge brass band and bells,

Devil's Dyke, outside Brighton

 

2016 Wings of Desire A site-specific opera, Leeds, in collaboration with Slung Low, based on the Wim Wenders film.

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2017 The Awakening (Lammermuir Festival), site-specific choral piece, Dirleton Castle, Lothian, Scotland

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2017 Mass Notification (Artichoke), with John del Nero

From a massive invisible sound system, in a city, in a suburb, in the countryside, comes a soundscape which reinforces, undermines, contradicts the natural soundscape  

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2018 November (Opera North, Leeds), opera, libretto by Rory Mullarkey, directed by Tim Albery.

The chaos and fragmentation of the world in November 1918. Chorus, soloists, seven pianos.

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2019 Angel House (Brighton Festival)

A (nearly) empty open house, populated by objects - toaster, kettles, radios, an answering machine, a piano, a TV, a microwave - which make music, telling the story of the house

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2020 The Outrun, opera for singer and laptop, performed by Melanie Pappenheim, directed by Emma Bernard,

based on Amy Liptrot's book about recovery from alcohol addiction, set in London and the Orkney Islands.

Beaten to it by the film directed by Nora Fingscheidt, starring Saoirse Ronan.

 

2021 Orlando, chamber opera, libretto and direction Susannah Waters.

based on Virginia Woolf's novel, 12 singers, small band, poor theatre, a set (in the spirit of Charleston)made out of costumes.

11 performers play many parts, one performer plays Orlando, a wonderful opportunity for androgynous vocal writing.

Beaten to it by the composer Olga Neuwirth.