‘Always Look for the Flowers’

Composed as part of the Music for Parkinson’s research project.

Performed Thursday 30 January 2025, 6.00pm at the RNCM Carole Nash Recital Room.

This piece is inspired by Chris Jones and her experiences of living with Parkinson's disease. Chris suggested the quote, “In a world full of sorrow, always look for the flowers” as a starting point for the project. She first heard the quote on the news in relation to the Paris bombing attacks some years ago, and the words resonated with her experiences of being diagnosed with Parkinson's.

The composition process began with a workshop with pianist Yuanfan Yang. For this workshop, Chris produced a graphic score with images inspired by the above quote. Yuanfan offered various improvised responses to this, and we talked at length about Chris’ experience of Parkinson's. Two chord sequences from this improvisation form the basis of the composition.

Taking these chords as starting points, I developed a short piano piece called “Always Look for the Flowers”. The first section of the piece creates a sombre mood - a world full of sorrow. In the middle section, the material becomes energetic and searching. The final section ends the piece with strong chords - rooted, defiant and characterised by a sense of renewal. The piece also subtly quotes a melody from Edith Piaf’s “Je N’En Connais Pas Le Fin”, which translates to, “I do not know the end”.

Chris’ Drawing that inspired the improv workshop:

Some sections of improv from the sessions:

Some words from Chris on her experiences of the project:

It was a huge honour to be part of this project.

As a person with Parkinson's finding moments that give you an extra dopamine boost are pretty high on the agenda and this project certainly proved to be a real tonic. Simon asked me if I would like to try to devise a Graphic Score. Armed with my primary school teacher's knowledge of scores I drew a little doodle. I honestly thought that Simon would say: "That's very good - but this is what we are going to do instead…". But he didn't.  He put my doodle in front of a concert pianist on a Steinway piano. Simon showed respect and empathy throughout the process. We talked at length about the impact Parkinson's has had on me and then he took the improv away and created "Flowers". Simply being in the college was awe-inspiring but then finding myself in a sold-out concert for the premier of a piece of music inspired in part by my thoughts filled me with pride. I am sure that I was on a dopamine high.