|
Beyond the Stone Horizon |
For orchestra.
Beyond the Stone Horizon is an 18 minute work for chamber orchestra which draws on a number of musical strands used in concert repertoire from the 18 th century to the present.
In 2004 I was asked by John Lubbock, the Artistic Director of the Orchestra of St John’s, if I would be interested in a commission from Julian Blackwell that would reflect some of the best traditional elements of earlier Western music but recast in a contemporary, 21 st centru framework. I was intrigued by the idea and excited by the challenge. A short time later the three of us met to discuss details of the project. Julian had very specific ideas about what he would like to see in the new work. I listened, took notes and went away with a collection of ideas to contemplate.
The title of the new work came from a poetic image I formed during its substantial period of gestation. I pictured a large mountain range in the distance, majestic and magnetic. It lay there silently as a mysterious force beckoning to be climbed and conquered. My journey took me first to the foothills then to the summit and from there a magnificent view both beyond me and behind me. That image became the metphor for the musical structure and the inspiration for the work.
Notes © Stephen Montague