Approx. Duration: 3’30”

Written as part of the bicentenary celebrations of the Royal Academy of Music, London, first performed there by Theo Bently Curtin on 8th July 2022.

Whirl Up, Sea (2022) for solo ‘cello is inspired by the poem Oread by H.D. (1886-1961):

Whirl up, sea—
whirl your pointed pines,
splash your great pines
on our rocks,
hurl your green over us,
cover us with your pools of fir.

The reoccurring three-note rising figure throughout the piece denotes the first line of the poem that is also the title of the work. The piece rises and falls to signify the movements of the sea described in the poem, which is realised by the subtle fading in and out of the lines, the fluctuations in tempo, and the repetitions that characterise the nature of the work.