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This book tells the story of how a regional Chinese theatrical form, Shanghai Yue Opera, evolved from the all-male ’beggar’s song’ of the early twentieth century to become the largest all-female opera form in the nation, only to face increasing pressure to survive under Chinese political and economic reforms in the new millennium. Previous publications have focused mainly on the historical development of Chinese theatre, with emphasis placed on Beijing opera. This is the first book to take a...

Blue Third Pieces, for flute or B flat clarinet and guitar is a homage to the interval of the third and its place in the blues.Including references to Ray Charles and using samples from Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clark's 1945 jazz piece 'Salt Peanuts', a slow improvisatory movement is paired with a lively syncopated one. A stylish work for an interesting instrumental duo.

for flute, clarinet in A, harp, and string quartet Sharing its scoring with Ravel's Introduction and Allegro, Eternity's Sunrise makes full use of the wealth of instrumental combinations available within this septet. The haunting, yet quirky theme around which the entire piece is based is likely to linger in the memory long after the music has finished.

Set for oboe and harp, this piece is a suite of six contrasting miniatures built around fragments of melodies which are repeated, each time with subtle variations. Particularly striking is the simple, folk-like melody of the fifth movement and the dissonant, almost grotesque march that precedes it.

In this piece a solo (for the first violin) runs parallel to a trio (violin, viola, cello), but is independent in metre, speed, and style. The title is from Foucault: 'Truth is a thing of this world: it is produced only by virtue of multiple forms of constraint.' The work was commissioned in 1997 for the Kreutzer Quartet.

Originally part of Walton's film score to Henry V composed in 1943, 'Touch her soft lips and part' has been taken from the original string version and arranged beautifully by Michael Berkeley for a smaller ensemble. The intimate setting perfectly compliments the musical material which remains at a quiet dynamic throughout. Lilting, gentle melodies emphasise the emotional parting of the king from his love.

Written for the CD of Butler's music from NMC with the Schubert Ensemble, American Rounds, this tiny, delicate piece has something of the Debussyian prelude about it. It deftly deals with that familiar theme of snow, not rising above a piano dynamic throughout. Butler effectively utilises the upper registers of the instruments to depict the lightness of falling snow and contrasts this with bass notes in the piano, no doubt alluding to the depths that snow can conceal.