Apostille was composed in 1993 to a commission from Gerard Gillen, who gave the first performance in September 1994 in St Michael's Church, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
The title refers to a marginal note or codicil. Other works of mine have such titles as Epilogue, Aprèslude, or After-pieces, titles which suggest post-modern sense of "coming after", as well as Ecarts or Excursus, suggesting a valorisation of the marginal. The work presents three drastically contrasted types of material - the icy, inexpressive music of the opening, fast-moving agitated material, and an unctuous pseudo-romantic harmonic sequence that, although we have heard it before, is not a quotation. These three worlds intersect and collide, fail to be reconciled, and go their own separate ways. Nevertheless, the ending is an apotheosis of sorts.
Raymond Deane