​Instrumentation: Hybrid Chamber Ensemble (3 Saxes, 4 Brass, 4 Strings, Piano, Percussion, 5-String Electric Bass)
Duration: 3:59

Polyglossia is an orchestral-jazz fusion piece that explores the friction between harmonic stability and fragmentation. Inspired by the experience of navigating a multilingual society, this work mirrors the “Polyglossic” experience inherent in environments where shared experiences coexist with multiple perspectives.

The piece opens with a brief melodic homage to the pentatonic-based introduction of Herbie Hancock’s “Speak Like a Child”. However, it quickly gives way to a high-energy Section A, where interlocking rhythms of the congas and shaker complement the Latin drum beat.

The fragmented melodic line is played by different instruments each time, showcasing their contrasting and unique qualities. Although hectic, this section maintains a brittle harmonic stability through harmonic grounding, with occasional chromatic inflexions.

However, this stability is soon disrupted through a series of tutti, rapidly shifting tonal centres. The already fragile harmonic diatonicism seems almost to break down completely as the key of the piece shifts sharply to a loud Eb minor— a distant key from the initial G minor.

​This leads to a stark textural shift as well: a stoic shaker rhythm that bridges into a new Section B. A piano solo accompanied by the electric bass fills this contrasting harmonic space. The duo suspends functional harmony as they explore alternate harmonies before quickly latching back onto a descending chromatic bass line and swinging the key back into G minor.

The rest of the ensemble returns slowly while the piano solo continues to explore even more alternative harmony, including whole-tone scales as well as quartal and quintal harmonic constructions.

In the final section, the ensemble merges Section B’s chromatic tension with​ Section A’s harmonic language. By treating complexity not as mere disorder, but as a carefully-balanced condition, Polyglossia seeks a synthesis between tradition and modernity. Thus, its harmonic journey was never random, but simply a matter of shifting perspectives.

Instrumentation: Clarinet in Bb and Piano
Duration: 3:58

The Third Step is a programmatic waltz that explores the lifecycle of a relationship between a father and daughter through the metaphor of classical dance. Structurally, the work traces a journey from childhood naivety to professional maturity, finally culminating in a nostalgic return to its roots.

After opening in F major with a sparse piano introduction, the piece gives way to a lyrical D-minor waltz theme. In this opening section, the clarinet occupies its upper register, supported by a minimalist “oom-pah-pah” piano accompaniment. This texture is intended to represent the father’s steady guidance as a child takes their first, tentative steps.

A sharp developmental turn into G major marks the middle section. Adopting a faster, more percussive character, the piano initiates a dialogue with the clarinet that also expands its range from the rich chalumeau to the altissimo register. Both instruments are put on a virtuosic display, utilising wide-interval leaps and rapid scalar passages. The harmonic language also temporarily shifts toward an early 20th-century palette, incorporating adventurous chromaticism and rapid modulations to reflect the daughter’s professional evolution and newfound artistic independence.

The excitement culminates in the final section with a modulation to A minor, featuring an embellished recapitulation of the original theme supported by a harmonically dense piano accompaniment. As the work reaches its conclusion, the piano ‘trickles’ into its highest register before the texture thins, returning to the simplicity of the opening.

The Third Step concludes with a perfect cadence into a unison F, symbolising the two generations finding perfect synchronicity in a final, shared dance.