Emma, Mark’s younger sister, commissioned a piece to be written in memory of him last year, by her dear friend and composer Libby Croad. “Ode” was recorded and filmed at Tonbridge School Chapel last summer of 2022. Emma is the violinist and Sarah Huson-Whyte, the cellist, is a close family friend and also played at Mark’s funeral in January 2007.
“Ode” is one continuous work, but in four distinct sections. It starts with a slow, still opening to set the scene. The second section is based on the form of an old English folk song called “Death and a Lady” where the protagonist meets Death on her journey. Libby felt that this was symbolic and poignant for Mark’s story. This moves into a faster, folk-inspired section to represent and celebrate Mark’s joie de vivre. The piece ends with a return to the original theme but with a more hopeful and uplifting feel.