New Publication in June 2023

I am very excited to share the news that my composition ‘Nocturne in Fm: waves collide with the precipice’ will be published in June by EVC Music as part of a new piano anthology.

The anthology, ‘22 Nocturnes for Chopin’, will consist of 22 new compositions by female identifying composers, with the works ranging from UK grades 6 to 8. The compositions themselves were inspired by Chopin’s Nocturne’s, and could be musically closely related to his work, or not at all. Of these 22 nocturnes, four were also chosen for a feature on Moving Classics TV, including my own nocturne!

When composing this piece, I wanted to bridge the gap between Chopin composing in the 19th century and myself composing today. I began the piece in a very romantic style, with a strong nod to Chopin. I gradually transitioned into my own voice and a more contemporary idiom, while retaining elements from the original motif.

I love all of Chopin’s nocturnes, they are so pianistic and expressive, but for this composition I think I was most influenced by his Nocturne No. 1 in Bb minor and Nocturne No. 20 in C# minor.

My music is often inspired by the world around me. This particular composition took inspiration from a memory of sitting on the edge of a cliff at Lulworth Cove, feet dangling, and watching the sea. The subtitle for this nocturne is ‘waves collide with the precipice, shattering into 100,000 tiny white droplets’, and this is the atmosphere I was aiming to conjure.

I am very much looking forward to sharing this piece with you, and exploring all the other new compositions!

For more information about ‘22 Nocturnes for Chopin’, and the call for scores, visit the EVC Music website: https://www.evcmusic.com/call-to-women-composers-results/

Publication, Piano, Composition, ClassicalCharlotte Botterill18 January 2023piano, nocturne, publication, classical, composer, competition winner, composition, contemporary