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Another Life
A piece that became a meditation on impending fatherhood.
01 — Media
Recordings and video
Choose Play to listen here, or enquire about scores and performance materials.
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Monster
A 35-minute work for Ensemble Klang, premiered at sound festival and subsequently performed in The Hague.
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Independence
A piece that reflects on cultural, national and familial identity on the eve of the 2014 Referendum.
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Geek
Ein Heldenleben from a sci-fi addict.
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Distance
A work shaped by separation, mediated presence and fragile connection.
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Armando De Simone’s Violin Concerto
A meta-concerto, reflecting and refracting the concertos in my life, dedicated to my late father, Armando.
02 — Works list
Catalogue
60 works, grouped by forces and genre, with the newest first in each category. Scores and programme notes are available on request.
Showing all 60 works, newest first within each category.
Orchestral
Unprecedented Times
2022 · 12′ · symphony orchestra · Aberdeen City Orchestra · commissioned by Grampian Youth Orchestra
The Tour
2019 · 10′ · symphony orchestra · Aberdeenshire Youth Orchestra · commissioned by Sound Festival/AYO
Geek
2013 · 12′ · symphony orchestra · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Quiet Meadow
2013 · 7′ · chamber orchestra · Meadows Chamber Orchestra, Edinburgh
Symphony
2009 · 50′ · symphony orchestra · RSAMD Symphony Orchestra, Glasgow
Armando De Simone’s Violin Concerto
2007 · 25′ · violin and orchestra · RSAMD Symphony Orchestra, Glasgow
Request score and materials Listen to Armando De Simone’s Violin Concerto
Anniversary Overture
2000 · 12′ · orchestra · Aylesbury Orchestral Society · commissioned by Southern Arts Council
Large ensemble (10+ players)
Playlist
2022 · 40′ · string dectet + piano · Outwith Ensemble · Universal Festival 2022 · commissioned by Uni-versal
Faces
2021 · mixed online ensemble · Ensemble Attica (Mexico City) Ensemble Thing · Face to Face online symposia June 2021 · Aaeja.com Ensamble Attica
The F Scale
2016 · 10′ · large ensemble · Red Note Ensemble/ Song Circus / I solisti del vento · commissioned by Sound Festival/ November Muziek
Poetics
2016 · 22′ · large ensemble · University of St Andrews New Music Ensemble cond. Bede Williams
The Great Piano in the Sky
2011 · 7′ · 15 pianos · Verona Risuona 2011; Gothenburg GAS Festival 2012; RCS PianoFest 2012 Piano Festival 2016 (Tallinn)
InReach
2009 · 40′ · mixed ensemble · Common Wheel - Polyphony Project · commissioned by Polyphony (music & mental health charity), funded by the Magnus Magnusson Award
Martyrdom Redux
2007 · 14′ · mixed ensemble · Utrechts Blazer Ensemble & Python Sax Kwartet · commissioned by Utrechts Blazer Ensemble & Python Sax Kwartet, Utrecht
A Tale, Told by an Idiot
2006 · 20′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Thing, Glasgow
Money Shot
2004 · 6′ · mixed ensemble · Paragon Ensemble, Glasgow · commissioned by Scottish Arts Council
Martyrdom Complex
2003 · 13′ · mixed ensemble · Aurelia Sax Kwartet & Slagwerkgroep Den Haag · commissioned by Fonds Scheppende Toonkunst, Amsterdam
Hero Fantasy
2003 · 11′ · mixed ensemble · Combustion Chamber · commissioned by Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst
ReQ
2001 · 20′ · soprano and large ensemble · Ensemble Royaal, The Hague
Solo and solo with electronics
Piano Gains
2024 · 15′ · solo piano · Lliam Paterson · Composer's Day 2024
Well, Well, Malcolm
2018 · 4′ · solo trumpet · Bede Williams · Stuart Harris Logan
Shape of Things to Come
2017 · 7′ · Organ · Roger Williams · commissioned by Sound Festival
Misremembrance
2016 · 4′ · Solo cello · Robert Irvine, sound festival, Aberdeen, 22 Oct 2016
Small ensemble
DSCG
2025 · 6′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Plunge
2022 · 7′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Depths
2022 · 6′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Ups and Downs
2021 · 7′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Up, Up!
2021 · 7′ · 9 instruments · Any Enemy · commissioned by Sound Festival
Monster
2018 · 35′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Klang · Ensemble Klang Lemon Tree October 2018
World Enough and Time
2017 · 20′ · mixed ensemble · Juliet Fraser et al · Musiques Démesurées, Clermont-Ferrand · commissioned by Diaphonique
Battle Fantasy
2017 · 5′ · fanfare band · Neo Fanfare 9x13 · Numerous venues throughout the Netherlands
Independence
2014 · 55′ · violin, cello, bass clarinet, accordion and double bass · Glasgow — premiere on the eve of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum · commissioned by Made In Scotland, Creative Scotland, Get a life fund
Denial
2011 · 15′ · piano trio · Said Ensemble · Glasgow City Halls Recital Room 2011
The Black Hole
2011 · 15′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Klang · Dag de Branding Festival 2011, The Hague, Netherlands · commissioned by Ensemble Klang, via Fonds Scheppende Toonkunsten
Intimacy
2009 · 20′ · String quartet · Edinburgh Quartet · commissioned by University of Glasgow (McEwen Bequest award)
Trillions
2009 · 45′ · Ensemble Thing / Fish and Game · Forest Fringe 2009 · Fish & Game (theatre group)
Panic Diary
2008 · 60′ · mixed ensemble · Symposia Ensemble · commissioned by Scottish Arts Council
The Hag
2005 · 45′ · mixed ensemble · Ensemble Klang (performed in Glasgow)
Deus Ex Machina
2004 · 18′ · string quartet · Mondriaan Quartet & instrument designer Robert Pravda · Robert Pravda (instrument designer); promoted by CMN Tours · commissioned by Fonds Scheppende Toonkunst
Succubus
2002 · 7′ · 6 trumpets · Kopperensemble R6, Amsterdam · commissioned by Rumori Festival
Big Things, not very near...
2002; revised 2015 · 20′ · Orkest de Ereprijs · Jens van Dael (choreographer) · commissioned by Orkest de Ereprijs & Arnhem Dance School, Arnhem
Dance
Two Trillions
2010 · 45′ · Ensemble Thing / Fish and Game · Forest Fringe 2010 · Fish & Game (theatre group)
Theatre
Alma Mater 2
2011 · 17′ · Ensemble Thing / Fish and Game · Fringe Festival 2011 · Fish & Game (theatre group) · commissioned by Creative Scotland — Made in Scotland award
Alma Mater: Scotland Street
2010 · 24′ · Ensemble Thing / Fish and Game · IETM 2010 · Fish & Game (theatre group)
Film
Watch selected film work and discuss a film score
Rapsodia Satanica
2003 · 60′ · Royal Conservatoire Orchestra · Tushinsky Cinema, Amsterdam · commissioned by Amsterdam Film Museum
Scores and materials
For scores, programme notes or commissioning enquiries, contact John directly.