Commissions

In 2007 Aidan was the musical director and composer for the Community Play 'On Common Ground'. Written by Caroline Small, directed by Phil Coggins, and devised by more than 20 local people, it told the story of the 1932 Kinder Mass Trespass and examined its relevance to modern issues of land use around the world. It was performed in New Mills Arts Theatre in June 2007, with live music from a nine piece band.The project was commissioned by the Kinder Trespass 75 committee and managed by High Peak Community Arts, and was featured on BBC1 (Countryfile) and BBC Radio 4 (Open Country).

The Grindleford Audio Trail

Commissioned by Moors For The Future, this 25 minute audio trail explores the geology and industrial archeaology in sound, story, poem and song, of a beautiful part of the Peak District near Sheffield. It was recommended in the Guardian newspaper's Great Outdoors guide, and can be downloaded FREE from: www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/mftf/audio_trails/grindleford.htm
to hear a brief excerpt click here: Ghost Of A River (Excerpt) (912KB)

Dandelion

Dandelion is an 'illustrated song cycle' on DVD that grew from a project with the Wear Purple Arts Project in Cheshire. Created with film-maker Heather James and musician on placement Dave Dove, the DVD contains six 'songs of experience' mixed with elders talking about work, changing values in society, the relationship between young and old, marriage, the changing role of women and the meaning of memory as you grow older. It includes guest performances from Jilah Bakhshayesh and Lis Murphy.
to hear a brief excerpt click here: Punch And Judy (excerpt) (1.19Mb)

The War Road - young people talk to survivors of wars

The War Road is a collaboration with year 9 students at Glossopdale
College in the High Peak of Derbyshire. Over six months Aidan and the students worked together, researching the subject, learning how to interview people, and then turning the interviews into songs. These were woven together with the edited interviews to create an impressionistic account of the experience of warfare, seen from many different view points.The students asked some fundamental questions - what are the underlying causes of wars? What are the costs of wars? Can war ever be fought for just reasons? And most importantly, how can we turn away from the War Road? The songs include veterans singing popular soldiers' songs, and a collaboration with Jean from Manchester based Congolese band Britannia Rumba - to hear a brief excerpt click here: Diamonds and Blood (excerpt) (1Mb)

The Maize Field - Rural Touring Theatre for young people

The Maize Field was a collaboration between the Cheshire Rural Touring Network, writer and director Pete Southcott, and Aidan as Composer/Musical Director. The play portrayed the lives of young people in a very rural part of Cheshire. It was developed in collaboration with a small group of young people and adults in Malpas, and toured all round Cheshire in the autumn of 2006. A second project is in development.
"Thought provoking and engaging" - Arts Council of England (North West)

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