Stations

Once highly ornamented, Ian Wilson’s music has, over the last decade or so, admitted more light and more air. The 70-minute Stations for solo piano very much follows this path. It is based on the Catholic devotion of the Stations of the Cross – fourteen scenes from Christ’s condemnation by Pilate to his burial in the tomb. Pictorial or sculptural representations of the Stations themselves appear in most Roman Catholic churches – they may be more or less elaborate, and the largest churches may even have a small chapel for each Station. Wilson’s setting retains the devotional, tableau-like sequence, but prioritises clarity over decoration.