Iain Matheson The shape of things for chamber orchestra 2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl (2nd doubling bcl), 2 bn, 2 hn, 2 tpt, perc (1 player), strings duration: 7 minutes The shape of things The piece invites listeners to consider memory’s role in creating musical objects in time. There is little exact repetition of material; just a few building blocks which quietly accumulate into a larger kaleidoscopic shape. Iain Matheson comes from Glasgow. He graduated Bmus from Glasgow University, where his composition teachers included George Newson and Lyell Cresswell. After completing his studies he worked as pianist/composer with a theatre group, and piano teacher in schools. He has also worked for the Church of Scotland, both in Scotland and in Prague. Iain now lives in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, where he works as a piano teacher. Performances of Iain's music include those by Cappella Nova, Chamber Group of Scotland, Peter Evans, Frances-Marie Uitti, Ananda Sukarlan, Emperor String Quartet, Kevin Bowyer, ensemble 175 East (New Zealand), Burkhard Molir (Germany) and Ensemble Bash. His music celebrates and explores musical shapes before any other expressive intention. Back to shortlist.