Summer Winds
During
the 1980’s and 1990’s I spent a good deal of time in the area around the Gorges
du Verdon in northern Provence, and the mountains, lakes, people and traditions
of that region have been the inspiration for several of works. Few of these works have been directly pictorial,
and Summer Winds is no
exception. Its starting point was the
lines of ripples created by gentle breezes on the still waters of the Lac de
Sainte Croix. From that emerged images
of the different winds that sweep across the lake and its surroundings - the
strong, cold Mistral from the north, buffeting everything in its path
for several days before stopping as suddenly as it had arrived; the Scirrocco
bringing heat from the Sahara and distant echoes of mystery and romance; and
the more placid summer winds which gently stir the branches of the olive trees
and create magic patterns on the surface of the water.
Out
of these impressions I have written a symphonic work in which purely musical
considerations were uppermost in my mind.
Nevertheless, there is a restless quality in the writing which remains,
and that restlessness determined the shape and style of the two movements. The first starts with an expressive slow
introduction before giving way to a dramatic Scherzo and Trio. A brief coda restores the mood of the
opening, but is soon blown away by a final puff of wind. The second movement pits several contrasting
ideas one against another. Apart from a
short lyrical interlude for saxophone and oboe the music moves relentlessly
forward towards a furious storm in which the various sections of the band each
go their own way. From the resulting
welter of chaotic sound emerges a more peaceful and tonal coda that finally
rises to a bright fanfare-laden climax in E major.
Summer Winds was commissioned by the
Northamptonshire Music Service for the Northamptonshire Youth Concert Band with
funds provided by Northamptonshire County Council, East Midlands Arts and Mr.
Eric Baird. The first performance was
given by the Northamptonshire Youth Concert Band, directed by Adele
Sellers-Peck, in the Festival Hall, Corby, on March 24th 1996.
© Christopher Brown 1996