Jock and Jenny

Piano | Duration c. 3'40"

Hewitt Hill Music

This short piano solo was commissioned by Margaret Carlaw for inclusion in the book Trees and Woodlands of Stichill Parish. In 2016 I had the enormous pleasure of spending several days in Stichill, Scotland to gain the inspiration to compose this piece. During this visit, I was taken to see Jock and Jenny, the two trees that sit on the summit of Sweethope Hill. As we arrived we found that the hill was obscured by low cloud cover, but just before leaving the fog dissipated and revealed two scrabbly trees – the sentinels of that part of the Scottish Borders.

After witnessing this sight, I was told that Jock and Jenny are a representation of home to many in the area. When making the journey home from elsewhere, residents of Stichill Parish often look to these sentinels to let them know that they are nearing their destination. In addition to the image of the trees emerging from the fog, this feeling of homecoming is the driving force behind the work.