Blog
Monthly Archive: October 2010
Forgotten Boots
Posted on Thursday, October 14, 2010
I wrote my clarinet quintet Gumboots for Todd Palmer and the St Lawrence String Quartet in 2008, and it's gone on to become one of my most popular pieces. However after the premiere I made several changes to the piece, including, most controversially, dropping one of the dances in the second part of the piece. I say controversially because both Todd and Geoff Nuttall, violinist of the St Lawrence Quartet seemed particularly attached to this particular dance. But I insisted as I felt that without it the sequence of ever-livelier dances had a better overall shape.
Recently Todd asked me if I would consider resurecting the "movement oubliée" as he put it - as a clarinet and piano piece. I looked it over and found that it would work extremely well in that format, so I jumped at the chance and within 24 hours or so the new version was made. It's only 2 minutes long, but it's cute, memorable, and I think would make a great encore to any clarinet recital!
Todd's hoping to premiere the new piece which I've called Forgotten Boots next year, but meanwhile here's a computerized recording:
NB This is a computerized recording!
Performance Today
Posted on Wednesday, October 6, 2010
I understand that this Friday (8th Oct), Gumboots will be broadcast and syndicated across the US on Performance Today, "the most listened-to daily classical music radio program in the United States" as the blurb says. The performance is the (fantabulous) one Todd Palmer and the St Lawrence Quartet gave at the Spoleto festival earlier this year. It should also be available online and I'll update this with the link once it goes live.
The score and parts for Gumboots are available from Bill Holab Music.
Silk Road
Posted on Friday, October 1, 2010
Wow. I'm gobsmacked to have had a call from Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project to write a piece for their next round of new commissions, culminating in performances in 2012. More details will follow once my head has stopped spinning.
