The Death of Oscar

The Death of Oscar (2012) is a miniature tone poem drawing upon the legend of the bardic poet Ossian and the death of his son Oscar. In the legends of Ossian, Oscar challenged the High King Cairbre to single combat and, though victorious, died of his wounds and was mourned by his father and lover. These tales collected by James MacPherson in the 18th century have long been debated as regards their authenticity, but what is not in doubt is the massive influence they had on perceptions of Scottish and Celtic culture, particularly overseas - admired by political figures such as Napoleon and Thomas Jefferson and inspiring Romantic artists from Mendelssohn in Fingal's Cave to Goethe in Die Leiden des jungen Werther.