The Otters’ Island

Mixed Septet: double tenor steelpan, bongo, tenor saxophone, trumpet, Welsh triple harp, violin, cello; 5’00”

This piece grew out of conversations while preparing music for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. The musicians for the first performance of this work are drawn from Antigua, Scotland, and Canada, and so the instrumentation naturally became an unusual combination of sound worlds. With the event set on a beautiful island hosting discussions a variety of issues including blue finance, environmental protection, and support for small states, it felt fitting to include the steelpan, an instrument rooted in Caribbean identity and resilience.

Finding the spark for this work took time. It finally arrived during a trip home to Singapore, listening to the squeals and chatter of smooth‑coated otters in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Pollution and mangrove degradation had driven native otters to extinction in the 1960s, but decades of policy implementation and environmental restoration brought them back. Today, community groups track and protect these animals, celebrating their return.

The music follows this arc in four broad sections: the playful energy of the otters; a darkening as pollution forces them to flee; the slow, determined work of environmental repair; and finally the joy of their return. The piece is a small tribute to what coordinated, well‑intentioned human action can achieve, and celebrates how landscapes and wildlife can thrive when care, attention, and community effort come together.

commissioned by the McEwen Bequest for the 2026 CHOGM in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.