Tom Irvine Music

My most recent work has been a solo cello piece commissioned by Robert Irvine (AKA ‘Dad’) for his new CD Songs and Lullabies. The theme of this collection of specially commissioned works is ‘Children of the World’ and all proceeds will go to UNICEF.

Titled Safety, my piece portrays the bittersweet revelation of a child whose family, fleeing persecution and war, have managed to secure passage on a boat across the Mediterranean. The piece combines the relief of escape with the realisation that the danger is far from over, and reflects on the prospect of never seeing home again.

The CD will be released in September 2016 on Delphian Records, with many of the works being premiered at St Magnus International Festival in Orkney this June.

I’m currently working on two very different, yet oddly related projects:

Firstly, I’m putting together arrangements for the upcoming album from Edinburgh based alt-rock extraordinaires Dog on a Swing. The music lends itself to big, brash brass and over-the-top strings, which is turning out to be a lot of fun! We’ll be in the studio in March to get everything recorded, with the album scheduled for release in late 2016.

My other main project for the moment involves writing music with a somewhat unusual audience in mind. Amy Bowman, a research assistant at the University of Glasgow, is currently undertaking a PHD which focuses on the effect music can have on dogs’ behaviour and stress levels. She has enlisted my help to experiment with the different elements of music separately to ascertain how the dogs respond to each factor as it changes. Regrettably, I’m not working directly with the test subjects, but I’m hoping they’ll become avid fans…