“There Is Beauty in Ruins, and Hope in Destruction”: Fallings for Shō (and u), Viola and Cello by Daryl Jamieson 
Fallings by Daryl Jamieson is the second part of his Vanitas Series (2014–2017). The piece fully reveals the cross-cultural approach he has developed since settling in Japan in 2006. After briefly describing his background, we look at the genesis of this theatrical chamber work, the seeds of which can be found in Fallen Fragments (2015) for solo shō. Then we look at how he explores the ideas of collapse and the cycles of life and death musically. Our analysis is based on studying the score and some sketches, supplemented by a series of interviews conducted with the composer by email in 2021.