Victoria: Woman and Crown (2019)

Soundtrack for Kensington Palace’s 2019/20 exhibition

To mark the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth, Kensington Palace curated an exhibition examining the monarch’s private and public life, from her ascension to the throne in 1838, through motherhood and the death of her husband, to her formative role in shaping European politics, a lasting influence that would radically impact the continent for much of the 20th century.

I was commissioned to compose a soundtrack to the exhibition. Given the enormous scope of Victoria’s life - both as public monarch and private wife, mother, and grandmother - I conceived of the score as a multi-channel installation in which synchronised layers of musical material, played through loudspeakers positioned throughout the museum, evolved as visitors walked through the space. Musical themes reflected those of the exhibition, from Victoria’s role as a mother, her complex relationship with India, to her affection for Scotland.

the soundtrack was recorded by the Ligeti Quartet, pianist Siwan Rhys, and sitar player Jonathan Mayer.