Home and away

The latest work by acclaimed ex-pat composer Lyell Cresswell is, appropriately enough, about exile. Shadows Without Sun, which premieres with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in mid-December, fuses the voices of a bigoted 19th century Highland preacher and the tragic heroine Cassandra with modern-day exiles in Scotland: “Those who know Cresswell’s music will be excited by the prospect. He’s never been one to lay things down in a straightforward, predictable manner. Nor is he a composer afraid to challenge the listener at every twist and turn.” Says Cresswell, “The idea of exploring such a theme sprang 5 years ago from the realisation that I had now spent the greater part of my life away from NZ.” (23)