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While I was at school, I wrote music.  Playing instruments came later.  My teachers suggested I attend Leeds University to study composition with Alexander Goehr.   That was a great idea. His teaching was inspiring; I still think about things he said today.

 

Playing took over and I wrote nothing for many years, but I started to write again a while back.

Esperanza for baroque oboe and harpsichord, was written for my partner, Gail Hennessy.    

Steven Devine seemed delighted with the harpsichord part so in 2016 I wrote him a piece, Flats , then subsquently two more.

Pieces I have written: 
Those that have been performed marked with asterisk.


Some pieces are are looking for a performance!
 

Baroque oboe
Esperanza *  for Gail Hennessy     
baroque oboe & harpsichord
Echoes and Falls *  for Gail Hennessy    
baroque oboe solo

Bass viol
Hard darknin  for Reiko Ichise

Cello
Ceum thar na mara * for Christine Hurley
Cogarnaich anns a' ghaoith  for Christine Hurley

Double bass
Stronghold  * for Malachy Robinson

Guitar
Tränen für die Syrischen Kinder  for Xuefei Yang
(also version for harp)

Harpsichord
Flats * for Steven Devine
Naturals for Steven Devine
Prelude with sharps * for Steven Devine
and also a version for Ottavino *
Coragio for Trevor Pinnock

Piano

Stepping Stones for William Hennessy

Untitled

 


Songs
My Gostly Fader  for Kate Semmens
soprano & organ
Feare no more the heate o' th' Sun *
for Kate Semmens, soprano and organ

Spanish double harp
Tha mi 'n dòchas... for Constance Allanic

String quartet
Áthas... * for Sarah MacMahon
A Distant Kiss *  for Lucy Russell
Berry Hill * in memoriam Iain McGillivray

Viola
To the Heath  for Sarah Parfitt
Daalamist * in memoriam Gustav Clarkson
Written for Adam Romer
 

Violin
Gazing out to sea * for Lucy Russell
Ahint  for Lucy Russell (two violins)
Vender * for Miki Takahashi

Recorder quintet
The Fair Maid of Perth for Pamela Thorby

Sackbut
O’r Galon * for Emily White
(with drone)

Theorbo & clapping (dancer)
Dance in Shadows for Matt Wadsworth
 

My Compositions

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Copyright - Peter McCarthy 2026

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