Noclip - For Soprano, Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

NOCLIP (2026) is a piece in five movements for Soprano solo, SATB choir and chamber orchestra based on the concept of the backrooms: a meme that blew up on the internet in early 2022, originating on a 4-Chan trend.

The original image was captioned as such: "If you're not careful and you noclip out of reality in the wrong areas, you'll end up in the Backrooms, where it's nothing but the stink of old moist carpet, the madness of mono-yellow, the endless background noise of fluorescent lights at maximum hum-buzz, and approximately six hundred million square miles of randomly segmented empty rooms to be trapped in. God save you if you hear something wandering around nearby, because it sure as hell has heard you..."

The piece does not attempt to depict a literal narrative. Instead, it explores the atmosphere and psychological implications of being trapped in such a space. The soprano plays as a woman who has "noclipped" into the backrooms, and is slowly losing her mind, before coming to acceptance with her new reality. The music feels sparse and unsettlingly intimate due to the choice of a smaller ensemble, creating a more "chamber" setting.

There are references to the caretaker's soundtrack, It's Just a Burning Memory – taken originally from Al Bowlly’s Heartaches; a track that was closely associated with the backrooms when it spread on the internet.

Wonderfully recorded and mixed by the Audio Nomads (Franklin Onyeso and Benedict Blythe) https://www.audionomads.co.uk/

Soprano Soloist: Jessica Kneeshaw

Piccolo 1: Grace Unwin-Smith

Flute 1/Piccolo 2: Laura Jones

Flute 2/Alto Flute: Lia Schondorf

Oboe: Emilia Cristina Gahan

Clarinet: Lily Hesper-Dugdale

Bass Clarinet: Alex Scott

Bassoon 1: Eli Massey

Bassoon 2: Bonna Yoon

Horn 1: Robyn Verney-Kershaw

Horn 2: Georgia Paxton

Trumpet: Tobias Isabella Amadio

Tuba: Yuval Avni

Percussion 1: Ng Hoi Yin

Percussion 2: Alex Freeman

Percussion 3: Matthew Kosciecha

Harp: Rosie Scott

Keys: Ruvin Meda

Sopranos: Sille Gulette Bresden Gullbek, Began moffitt, Effie Stewart

Altos: Liz Kirov, Amelie Mack, Weng Yee

Tenors: Adi Grant, Carrissa Gyimah, Yiran Qiu

Basses: Rory Douglas, Lorenzo Rodaro, Lachlan Seymour

Violins 1: Peter Ryan, Laura Guttierreez Muurisepp, Lily An, Sophie Chung

Violins 2: Arianna Cossey, Qinhan Li, Libi Winterstein, Alice Younger

Violas, Jemimah Davis, Henry Goodwin Hitt, Lotti Vitaloni, Evelyn Freeman

Cellos: Gabe Ward, Ella Beth, Ezra Escobar, Daniel Yiu

Basses: Maylee Velasco, Will Priest, Karter Williams