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Scene With Birds (1989) |
For 3(picc)3(ca)(bcl)3/431/3perc/strings - 12'
Long, spacious melodies for wind instruments often underpinned by dark layers of percussion and double basses, characterise the first half of this work. Sometimes a solo string quartet introduces fast scale-like passages for the other strings, and there are many bird cries depicted by bent notes on flutes, oboes and clarinets. The scoend part of the work consists of an uneven ostinato melody mainly for double basses over which hieratic brass fanfares repeatedly call out. When all the other instruments have entered, the music builds to a climax, then drops away leaving only the sounds of the birds.The solo quartet have the final say - each of the four instruments sings, in turn, a segment of the opening melody which is answered by a few bars of wind music. The coda consists of five slow string chords, each lower than the last, until the music fades away altogether on a low C. Whatever 'scene' was imagined by the listener on hearing the music, has faded with the coming of night. 'Scene with Birds' is dedicated to the composers children, Pascal and Kirsten
First performance: Norfolk County Youth Orchestra