‘I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me.’ – T. S. Eliot

Inspired by T. S. Eliot’s melancholic verses, Soliloquium, interrupted portrays the painful gap between desire and reality. The piece utilises the horn’s sonic versatility, beginning on a melancholic, dreamy plane: lyrical, organically growing motifs recur, painting a picture of the unattainable mermaid’s song – symbolic of the beauty that seems to be reserved for others.
However, this lyrical intimacy of the instrument is repeatedly interrupted by wild, rambling and self-destructive thoughts. The sudden outbursts are like a rude awakening from a daydream into loneliness. After the turmoil, all that remains at the end is the fading sound of the horn – and the faint, fading memory of a lost melody.