Jason's piano piece reminds me of Mozart's piano writing, with its beautifully achieved two-part texture, like an intricate filigree craftwork... An optimistic and lively piece, which merits a follow up of subsequent movements!

A really subtle reflection on the Renaissance genre of Pavane-a dance that originated in the city of Padova in Italy, but which was so successfully incorporated into the consort ensemble repertoire by English masters such as Dowland and Byrd... Robbie adds a somewhat modern touch to the elegant character of this genre, is this a re-renaissance?

Oscar's affinity for resonant harmonies is evident here. The chords are beautifully voiced within the brass ensemble, creating a sense of subdued suspense. I especially like the countermelodies he weaves above and below the theme. The middle section is built on polyphonic textures, before returning to the initial theme, accompanied by a varied harmonic progression.

Katie's theme is beautifully crafted and has a certain contemporary quality. The piano accompaniment starts in a simple fashion but sometimes drives us towards unexpected directions. The specific timbre of the French Horn is displayed at its best: a velvety, melancholic yet intense tone, creating an illusion of our own thoughts coming to us from a distance...

Sam's initial bars were so Haydnesque! Yet he managed to steer away from pastiche composition. The viola theme is breathtakingly beautiful! He also explores polyphonic textures, a decision which deserves praise! This piece could be called Sonatina (and be followed by several movements) but Arioso describes its character accurately: the piece is full of singable melodies...

The genre of Ground (Passacaglia/Chaconne) was very popular in the Baroque period (with Purcell composing some of the finest examples). Liberty is successfully merging Baroque elements with contemporary rhythms - the result is emotionally electric; not at all multi-stylistically eclectic! The string ensemble is displayed in its best role, bringing beautifully voiced chords...

Atalanta had a specific atmosphere in mind for this piece; she blended the piano and strings very successfully, creating timbre characteristic of film scores. The harmonic language is modal, which results in a contemporary sound-something which might support a film (or series) for young viewers.

Sky's piece reminds me of story-telling "song without words" of composers such as Mendelssohn, Schumann, Tchaikovsky or (in more recent years) Prokofiev. A perfectly crafted piece, to which a very intriguing statement (originally relating to Bent Sorensen's music) can be applied: "this music reminds me of something I've never heard before..."

Recently, we finally started properly celebrating female composers of the previous centuries, and Clara Schumann is rightly one of these (rediscovered) stars. Clara was an accomplished pianist and her own compositional work shows this beautifully. Anan's piece has a similar sort of personalised virtuosity (it seems like only she is able to play this!). But, beyond the virtuosic qualities of this music, there is a wonderful world of colour and resonance to discover. Magical.