The Lambton Worm (2026)- Beth Roche

Commissioned by Omega Ensemble as part of the 2026 CoLAB: Composer Accelerator Program. Recorded live at ACO on the Pier on 14 August 2026. The Lambton Worm is a 14th century legend from County Durham in North-East England, which details the battle between John Lambton and a giant worm (archaic term for dragon). While fishing, Lambton finds the worm in the form of a small eel and tosses it into a well, only to find that years later upon his return to the town, it has transformed into a giant beast and is terrorising the nearby villages. The two characters battle and John wins but is left with a nine-generation curse upon his family. This piece which shares its title with the legend, aims to capture the duality between the naivety of young John Lambton and the sinister, deceptive nature of the worm.