Ensemble
Concert Band
Duration
3' 35"
Date Of Composition
Late 2003, after the State Honours Ensemble Program in October.
Commissioner
Context For Creation
As for Cinque Quattro, this work was a prize in the
Competition and Composition project and was composed a secondary school
ensemble. Though I know that the premiering ensemble was capable of more technical and musical
challenges than this work presented (they played
A Joyful Noise at the concert as well; a much
more technically challenging work), I wanted to compose a piece that would be accessible by the average
school band. Its technical demands are average high school level and the 'theatre' type components of
the work are also within reach of that level of school band.
Once again, Jeanette Douglas featured in the preparation of the premiere ensemble and in the concert
presentation.
Premiere
Publisher
Manuscripts
Manuscripts
Responses/Outcomes
The younger students in the audience seemed to like this work more than
those who played it. Its theatrical content would have attracted them I suppose - the use of a 'cyclone
circle' being one matter of great interest on the night (see the newspaper article below for a photo of
the device).
Report on new music Douglas
Correspondence Douglas
Newspaper article
Reflections
This piece hasn't been published. The concept worked very well but I don't
know if any publisher would be interested in a work that requires the device, invented by my friend
Chris Scott, to perform it. Chris and I discussed the concept I had for rain/wind type noise in the
piece and he suggested a device based on a bicycle wheel where the tyre was replaced with a length of
agricultural drainage pipe, filled with small stones and formed into a circle around the wheel rim. When
spun slowly or quickly the noise produced had a storm like sound effect.