Composer's Website: www.LKillian.com
Commissioned by the Ted Hughes Society to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Ted Hughes in 1998, the Ted Hughes Suite is programmatic in nature and depicts key elements of the life of the poet Ted Hughes. The premier took place as part of the Ted Hughes Festival in 2008 and was performed by the Todmorden Symphony Orchestra under their conductor Nick Concannon-Hodges.
I – YOUTH
The opening music depicts the spaciousness and openness of the moors around Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire, England, where Ted Hughes lived as a child. The scene is set with echoes of birdsong, bubbling springs, and the clear wind blowing in gusts across the landscape. There are points of interest in every dip and at every crest. Birds, foxes, rabbits, sheep and other wildlife present a wonderful opportunity for adventure to the quickening mind.
Suddenly this image is broken by the sound of Red Indian drums in the distance, inviting attendance at the camp in the woods below. The pace quickens as the trek begins. Up and down, in and out, tumbling at times; through the valleys, through the woods, over the walls and onwards towards the sound of drums.
The day is Sunday, the chapel is full, a hymn tune is heard being played from within the stone walls. Outside the sun shines warmly and crickets can be heard inside the cracks in the stone walls around and about. The excitement of the adventure ever-present, ever enticing, the youngster and his friends are keen to get back to the woods and to their adventures. What a wonderful place this is!
II – AFFAIRS OF THE HEART
Let’s begin.... excitement, passion, joy, children, then tragedy, overwhelming grief, utter devastation, numbness. A memory renewed, a passion re-kindled, the love of nature shines through the darkness, the way forward is set.
III – THE POET LAUREATE
The opening of the finale represents a feeling of well-being and nostalgia; great recognition is dawning. The Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, fishing trips, and Ted’s second marriage set the scene.
A royal fanfare and tribute signal the arrival of the new Poet Laureate for the nation and form a brief transition into the dance-like finale of this suite. A positive celebration of the legacy left to us now. A final short coda takes us back to the magic of youth and the wonders of nature.
