Abide was written after a workshop with year 5 students at Jessop Primary School in South London organised by Music Masters, and uses a number of musical themes, ideas and behaviours generated by the students.
Short staccato chords sometimes flower into melodies – while ‘underneath the hood’ two versions of the hymn ‘Abide with Me’ run at different speeds, providing the harmony.
It’s designed to be playable by a string ensemble of any size, of around Grade 4-5 and up, and can feature a piano or glockenspiel part.
Instrumentation:
Intermediate string group: violin I, violin II, violin III (or viola), cello, double bass (optional), glockenspiel or piano (optional)
Duration:
3 1/2 mins
Commission:
Commissioned by Music Masters
Performances:
19 Mar 2026
London Sinfonietta & North London Music Hub
Royal Festival Hall, London, UK
7 Mar 2024
Time’s Arrow & students
Boston University, MA, USA
USA premiere
2 Oct 2023
Britten Sinfonia with young players of Essex Music Hub
Essex Music Hub Inspiration Day
17 Mar 2023
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective
Wigmore Hall, London, UK
World premiere