Uploaded October 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This Composing for Piano scheme began life as a scheme writing for Hardanger Fiddle in November 2021. The six composers worked with the inspirational Clare Salaman to write new works for this amazing instrument. Clare was already receiving treatment for cancer but she wanted to continue sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with a new generation of composers. Tragically, Clare passed away in January of this year.
The composers were all profoundly affected by Clare's passion, expertise and commitment, and they would like to to take the opportunity to dedicate their compositions in memory of Clare.
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Psappha's 'Composing For…' schemes began back in 2013 and have supported the creation of more than 160 new works to date. The aim of the scheme is to give emerging composers direct access to one of Psappha’s core musicians over an extended period of 8 – 10 months. Through a series of one to one workshops the composer and musician get to know each other personally and musically and a new work is created through this collaboration.
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Benjamin Powell - Piano
Tim Williams - Producer and Editor
Leighton Moody - Director of Photography
Rob Kelledy - Sound recording and Mastering
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The final act of The Chinese Room’s Dear Esther involves a long climb up to the summit of an aerial tower
Your final act is to survey the hebridean island you have spent your last days exploring
until you fall
and grow wings
and fly
free at last
Learn more about Zygmund: zdscomposer.co.uk
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LEARN MORE AND FOLLOW PSAPPHA
Website: psappha.com
Subscribe to Psappha's Enewsletter: shorturl.at/ryFGO
Twitter: twitter.com/PsapphaEnsemble
Facebook: facebook.com/psappha.ensemble
Instagram: instagram.com/psapphaensemble
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Psappha is grateful for the support its ‘Composing For…’ programme receives from: Arts Council England; PRS Foundation Talent Development Partner scheme; Fidelio Charitable Trust; RVW Trust; and the Granada Foundation.
This Composing for Piano scheme began life as a scheme writing for Hardanger Fiddle in November 2021. The six composers worked with the inspirational Clare Salaman to write new works for this amazing instrument. Clare was already receiving treatment for cancer but she wanted to continue sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with a new generation of composers. Tragically, Clare passed away in January of this year.
The composers were all profoundly affected by Clare's passion, expertise and commitment, and they would like to to take the opportunity to dedicate their compositions in memory of Clare.
------------------------------
Psappha's 'Composing For…' schemes began back in 2013 and have supported the creation of more than 160 new works to date. The aim of the scheme is to give emerging composers direct access to one of Psappha’s core musicians over an extended period of 8 – 10 months. Through a series of one to one workshops the composer and musician get to know each other personally and musically and a new work is created through this collaboration.
------------------------------
Benjamin Powell - Piano
Tim Williams - Producer and Editor
Leighton Moody - Director of Photography
Rob Kelledy - Sound recording and Mastering
------------------------------
The final act of The Chinese Room’s Dear Esther involves a long climb up to the summit of an aerial tower
Your final act is to survey the hebridean island you have spent your last days exploring
until you fall
and grow wings
and fly
free at last
Learn more about Zygmund: zdscomposer.co.uk
------------------------------
LEARN MORE AND FOLLOW PSAPPHA
Website: psappha.com
Subscribe to Psappha's Enewsletter: shorturl.at/ryFGO
Twitter: twitter.com/PsapphaEnsemble
Facebook: facebook.com/psappha.ensemble
Instagram: instagram.com/psapphaensemble
------------------------------
Psappha is grateful for the support its ‘Composing For…’ programme receives from: Arts Council England; PRS Foundation Talent Development Partner scheme; Fidelio Charitable Trust; RVW Trust; and the Granada Foundation.




![Simon Holt - The Sower (Psappha commission, Manchester premiere)
Psappha Ensemble:
Conrad Marshall - alto flute
Benjamin Powell - piano
Tim Williams - cimbalom
Jennifer Langridge - cello
This performance was recorded live at Hallé St Peters in Manchester (UK) on 12th May 2022. To view the 4K version we recommend you use Google Chrome or the Firefox browser.
Learn more about Psappha: http://psappha.com
Film Production
Cameras - Handel Productions
Audio & Mastering - Rob Kelledy
Film produced and edited by Tim Williams
Simon Holt - The Sower (Psappha commission, Manchester premiere)
The Sower for alto flute, piano, cello and cimbalom is derived from a poem by Antonio Machado. I have written two other pieces that use this poem as a starting point: Surcos for orchestra and Cloud Shadow a chamber piece.
Noviembre 1913
Un año más. El sembrador va echando
la semilla en los surcos de la tierra.
Dos lentas yuntas aran,
mientras pasan las nubes cenicientas
ensombreciendo el campo,
las pardas sementeras,
los grises olivares. Por el fondo
del valle del río el agua turbia lleva.
Tiene Cazorla nieve,
y Mágina, tormenta,
su montera, Aznaitín. Hacia Granada,
montes con sol, montes de sol y piedra.
One year on. The sower casts seed into the furrows of earth.
Two slow oxen plough,
whilst ashen clouds pass overhead, overshadowing the land,
the brown, sown earth,
the grey olive groves. In the depths of the river valley,
the river flows, muddy.
Cazorla has snow, and Mágina, storms,
Aznaitín its cloth cap.
Turning to Granada,
sunny mountains, mountains of sun and stone.
[Translation: Simon Holt]
I discovered it on one of several bronze plaques to commemorate Machado set up on the walkway along the outskirts of the town of Baeza in southern Spain. Machado moved there after his wife died and taught French in the town. In the poem he is essentially describing the astonishing landscape.
Simon Holt
Learn more about Simon Holt: https://simonholtcomposer.com Simon Holt - The Sower (Psappha commission, Manchester premiere)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/L5GO1N2SpFI/mqdefault.jpg)





