Premiere of Facing Snow (II)

Soprano Emma Tring and harpist Ruby Aspinall gave a world premiere of my song Facing Snow (II), composed especially for the second Sound Over Silence concert, which raises money for Medical Aid for Palestinians. They gave a stunning performance in the beautiful St James Church, Sussex Gardens on January 10th 2026.

I wrote Facing Snow a few years ago for string orchestra, which was inspired by the poem of the same title, by 8th century Chinese poet Du Fu. This time I used the actual words. There are several translations of the poem but I like the simple direct translations, and here I have amalgamated lines from two. It depicts the desolation of a land and people in the aftermath of war.

Emma Tring and Ruby Aspinall in rehearsal. Photo by Raphael Neal.