A sequence of six original poems by well-known novelist Alexander McCall Smith (author of "The No.1 Ladies´ Detective Agency" series and many other novels) set to music by Tom Cunningham.
Alexander McCall Smith writes:- "A Time of Gifts is my third collaboration with the composer, Tom Cunningham. Some years ago I was invited to write a series of short pieces about giving for a concert in St Paul´s Cathedral in London. For that I wrote a number of very short stories û a few lines long in each case. This work represents a development of that idea, in which I have tried to say something in verse about what it is to give to others. Giving brings people into a relationship with one another that recognizes shared humanity and vulnerability. But one should not be too solemn about giving: sometimes gifts are unwanted, or awkward, or, as in one of these poems, they insist on coming back!"

The six pieces are:-
Thoughts that come to mind
The only gift
My love gave me a cat
A gift of time
Fitting gifts
His and hers
Duration c.12 minutes

You can view the score of this work and, for more recent publications, hear it being played by using the SCORCH program