This work was written as a compositional “Everest Challenge”. I felt that I needed to prove to myself that I could write a very long piece for large orchestra. It is about 33 minutes long. It took me many years to complete but this is the result.
The piece is structured around an emerging all-interval chord. It begins with just two notes (pitches) heard at the opening and from these, it simultaneously ascends and descends. Each transformation or development of the chord is marked by a loud note from the tubular bells. These chords serve to divide the piece into different sections.
The chords are spaced out in accordance with the Fibernaci series, getting closer and closer and the full all-interval chord is placed at the Golden Section of the piece. From this point onwards we hear a more peaceful condensed recapitulation of the larger first section. Within these structural constraints I composed feely right up until the full version of the chord. I took the pitches of the chord as my source of melodic and harmonic material. In the second, recapitulating, section I used serial techniques. What is interesting to me is that this still works! I was still able to make the sounds that I wanted and there is no obvious difference, to me, in the effect of the two sections.
Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to hear a live performance of this work. Until then, this Sibelius 7.5.1 realisation is the best I can do!
