A reflective work for cello and string orchestra, Caoineadh (kwee-neh) takes its title from the Scottish Gaelic and Irish word meaning "weeping", "lamenting", or "wailing". Keening, the practice of funeral lament, is a traditional ritual vocal practice in Ireland, and in parts of Scotland, which sees mourners wail and weep in a release of emotion at the graveside, or at the wake of the deceased. This piece, written at a time of personal upheaval, draws on the premise of the funeral song while exploring the gradual release of emotion in the process of grieving.