22

22 is written in ternary form, which came from my original idea to create a piece of music with both up-tempo, happier sections, and slower, more reflective sections. This was partly intended to mirror the resilience of Manchester, and the tragic events at the time.

When the first section is first heard, it grows from just a piano accompanying the melody (played on a flugel-horn), to a more traditional ballad - with drums, bass guitar and strings added. Alongside its minor tonality, this part of the song remains in 9/8 compound time, giving the music a lilting feel. I also wanted the song to have a calm sound, reflecting upon the 22 lives lost, so I used major & minor 7th chords, and 6th chords. When the music reaches its highest point at the first chorus, it immediately changes to a soft end to this section, again reflecting on the lives cut short in the terror attack.

The second section in the song was intended to feel brighter and overall more positive than the first and last. I composed the main theme for this section in the Dorian mode, which gives a brighter sound than the minor tonality used throughout the majority of the rest of the song. I also used syncopation and a wider variety of articulation to create more interest in the music. 

This section also uses a structure simiilar 

The second section in the song was intended to represent the resilience of Manchester and the world, as it's an upbeat moment between two slower, reflective section

The ending of the song comes after the third chorus. However, instead of resolving with the previous phrase, there is an added tension as the music drops down to an Ab major chord, instead of the expected A minor (tonic). Followiong this is another addition of the saxophone and string sections, as the music resolves to an A major (tonic major) chord. The use of Tierce de Picardie again reflects on the over-arching resilience towards the tragic events.