From Notebook To Score

Friday, the 2^nd of January 2026 

#notebook #Tide #SeaSymphony #SciathlúireachMhuire 

It’s been fun looking back at my notebooks and seeing the emergence of Tide, the 4^th movement of the Sea Symphony. It started as a harmonic shape, rooted on a pedal D. That was one of those moments when I woke in the middle of the night (3am on 3^rd September, to be precise) and had to write down the sketches. I have a miniature pad of manuscript paper by my bed for such emergencies. 

Next, the pentatonic lines take shape, along with the ripples and waves (that accompany the big them) and the falling fifths that w

ould become such a strong feature in the big theme.  

There is a breakthrough moment on 13 September when I hear the ancient Irish melody Sciathlúireach Mhuire and realise it’s perfect for the opening section. 

(2) sciathluireach mhuire - search results | Facebook 

The next breakthrough moment is on 2^nd November. We were out shopping and Sarah, noticing that I needed time out, left me on the sad person’s bench at Waitrose behind the tills. I sat there in my own little world and wrote the big theme in my notebook. It had been swirling round my head for a few hours by then so I was glad to have the opportunity to write it down. On the same page, is a harmonic structure for the middle section, where this big theme rises through the modes, building each time towards the final section. 

There are various notes on the harmonic structure for the final section but the breakthrough moment was basing it on the big theme augmented (slowed down) in the bass, like a cantus firmus (a favourite technique of the Renaissance). The big theme sounds even bigger, falling back through the modes to land back on D. 

So this movement, 15 minutes of symphonic music, took 17 weeks start to finish. Most of that time was gestation as the piece gradually took shape in my head. I like to think of it as the composting part of composing.