Sideshow is a set of seven short pieces that flow together to make a continuous work. The initial inspiration for the music came from the circus drawings of Seurat, but in the end the pieces developed independent characteristics that draw on many sources, from Baudelaire, Cocteau and Pessoa, through to late 19th century German music. The titles of each section are – Prelude, The Ballad of London Fields, Bricolage, The Old Acrobat, Langsam, Cock and Harlequin, Spiritualised in Night.