The composer, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, drew inspiration from various sections of the Requiem Mass, which influenced the moods and tempi of each of the suite's seven movements.
Compositional Technique
Excelsus is musically based on two themes: a melodic 'Rex Tremendae' theme heard at the opening, and a chordal 'Lux Aeternum' harmony revealed at the suite's conclusion.
Composition History
Cheryl Frances-Hoad's Excelsus for solo cello was composed in 2002 for Thomas Carroll's debut recital at the Wigmore Hall as part of the YCAT concert series.
Composer Biography
Composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad and cellist Thomas Carroll knew each other for over a decade before this work, having met at the Yehudi Menuhin School in 1989.
Performer Biography
Thomas Carroll, the cellist on this recording, launched his career by winning both the Young Concert Artists Trust, London, and Young Concert Artists, New York.
Recording & Production
This recording of Excelsus was made twenty years after its composition, with the composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad present during the sessions.
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