Composed with assistance from Arts Council Northern Ireland and the Swedish Arts Grants Committee

Instrumentation: 

Vibraphone / narrator, cello, piano and electronics. Score available from the Contemporary Music Centre, electronic files available from the composer.

1. The island of ants
2. The island of horses
3. The island of salmon
4. The island of Jasconius the sea monster
5. The undiscovered island
6. The island of apples, pigs, and birds
7. The island of cats
8. The island of eternal youth
9. The island of Fata Morgana

There is something special about islands, both big and small, real and imaginary. Finding oneself situated on a finite piece of land surrounded by the infinite sea can feel both isolating and liberating at the same time.

Stories and legends of strange islands abound across cultures and timescales, from the Irish Navigational Immram to the myths of ancient Greece, Scandinavia and Polynesia and countless historical accounts of sailing expeditions. Today, we can find parallels with trips to the Moon and Mars. On some level, we are all longing to discover our own islands. Perhaps we subconsciously search for them in our imagination and in our dreams.

“Nine Undiscovered Islands” borrows from the 8th Century Voyage of Máel Dúin, 21st Century news items about the adorably terrifying Japanese cat island, medieval sea monster stories and the mysterious and whimsical “Un-Discovered Islands” by Mallachy Tallach and Katie Scott. These short pieces were written while in residence on the island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

Featured image by Andy Catlin