Shadows
A musical soundscape
From Night Time Impressions, published by Forsythe and on the ABRSM grade 3 2025–26 piano list A.
As a child I shared a room with my younger sister. She had a vivid imagination and found it hard to get to sleep at night. There would always be shadows behind the wardrobe or noises in the house that disturbed her.
My own experiences of these shadowy night-time phantoms was intensified by a deep connection with the woods behind our house. I found the nocturnal sounds of the animals and constant murmerings of the trees both fascinating and frightening. There always seemed to be something unknown and unexpected waiting to leap out and scare me.
When I composed Shadows, these insubstantial and ghostly images were in my mind. I thought about how the night changes in mood, how moments of stillness are interrupted by sudden movement and energy. You do not know what is going to happen next. I recalled memories of being in my garden at night, with the bank of tall trees towering down behind me, feeling my heart pounding and listening intently to make sure no unexpected animal or thing was moving round the garden.
In my piece, I wanted to capture an eerie mood and sense of nervous tension and energy through rapid figurations followed by changes in pace and dynamic contrast. The climax comes towards the end when slower notes convey the melody. In my mind I hear the words “it’s right behind you” as if anticipating a jump-scare.
The piece returns to the opening theme and ends with a high-pitched chord — maybe a little mouse jumping out of the way?
I’m delighted that my piece, Shadows, has been selected for the ABRSM grade 3 2025–26 piano syllabus and I hope that many people enjoy playing it. Please share your performance and I’ll keep a look out for them!
