Ave Maris Stella (2011)

Taking its inspiration from the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 this imaginative setting of the Ave Maris Stella ("Hail Star of the Sea") mimics the structure of the Monteverdi to create a series of contrasting verses for varying forces. The work was originally conceived for performance with two dancers and draws on the rhythmic qualities of Renaissance dance music as much as it does on the melody and harmony derived from the canonical plainchant that opens the piece.