Solo + (3.3.3.3 / 4.3.3.1 / 2perc, harp / str)
Program Note
When Cendan Dillon and I first discussed the possibility of writing a timpani concerto together, we were immediately on the same page. We wanted a piece that was melodic, sometimes bordering on Romantic, but with a few technical moments requiring fast retunings, and an overarching fantastical mood. While the piece changed over the course of its development, it never strayed far from those early core ideals.
I decided the piece needed a conceit, a reason for writing music with such a prominent timpani part. I imagined the timpani soloist as the war drums of trees, an image drawn from a shared love of Tolkien and the threat of the climate crisis. Tolkien was responding to the industrialization of the English countryside, but his words ring just as true now as they did when he penned them.
Select pages from the score and solo part are available to preview.
This piece is available for performance beginning in September, 2026. Cendan Dillon retains the exclusive right to present the first public performance of the timpani solo.
If you are interested in performing this piece, please refer to the contact page for details about how to get in touch. PDF parts are available; printing is the responsibility of the requesting party.
Art by Chloe Furse