Shadow of the Hawk is an exuberant work for cello and piano that takes influence from Balinese gamelan along with echoes of Prokofiev and Shostakovich. The music is pervaded by a continual sense of forward momentum and requires performers with considerable stamina, as both the cellist and pianist have to traverse many passages of tightly motoric unison playing. The action occasionally gives way to more expansive and lyrical sections, which brings out expressive qualities of the cello.
The shadow of the hawk rises and falls as the landscape gently undulates beneath it. One moment it is indistinct and unfocussed, the next it snaps into clear definition as the ground rises. A rocky outcrop thrusts up towards the sky – the shadow is suddenly crystal-clear. Slowly it slides away again as the hills recede, and the hawk ascends soundlessly back into the sky.
