`Tilbury Point’ at the University of Minnesota
Australian conductor Ingrid Martin is to conduct my portrait overture `Tilbury Point’ on 1st May at the University of Minnesota, USA.
I wrote Tilbury Point as a short “whizz-bang” portrait overture for band. The idea came to me after visiting many of East London’s ancient riverside pubs along the River Thames. For many centuries these pubs have harboured smugglers, pirates and artists as well as London’s infamous Execution Dock. Tilbury Point refers to a site downriver where the pirate Captain Kidd’s body was displayed. His sentence was carried out in 1701 at `Execution Dock’. He was hung, dipped in hot tar to preserve his body and left for three tides to cover his body before being put in a metal cage and taken to Tilbury Point and displayed as a warning to other pirates sailing towards London. This appalling ritual was commonplace during these times! Tilbury Point makes use of the old Ballad of Captain Kidd, which became popular soon after his death. The overture conveys the vibrant feel of the River Thames at Tilbury Point.