I started to compose Knots & Mirrors in 2011 for a call for scores for fanfares for Firstsite in Colchester. Due to an injury I was unable to complete the piece in time for the Firstsite event, but it draws on elements relating to this venue, most notably the community artwork The Knot Curtain which was on display at that time.
The Knot Curtain drew upon Chinese decorative knots and consisted of picture frames, connected by representations of different types of decorative knots. In the images I had of the artwork, the picture frames looked like mirrors, and the fanfare itself uses a fair amount of material reflected in different parts, giving a slightly different aspect to the same notes.
The piece is also about individuals and groups. The first and final sections focus on the ensemble working together, while the central section separates out the parts to give more of a solitary, individual-within-the-group impression.