Judith Weir

COMPOSER'S NOTESThe music of these violin duos has been influenced by the centuries-long flow of traditional music from the British Isles to North America and back again. The compositions are dedicated toseveral people who are keeping that transatlantic musical flow in motion today.Sleep Sound Ida Mornin'Sleep Sound ida Mornin' is a very short duo for two violins based on a traditionaltune which I first heard in the Orkney Islands although played there on the banjo by a native of Kansas. My extended version with a slow introduction was first played in Boston on 29th January 1995 by Lesley Chen and NathanSchmidt members of the New England Conservatory's Preparatory Division during their annual weekend festival of contemporary music. This very remarkable and encouraging event was devised and organised by Rodney Lister to whomthis piece is dedicated.Duration c. 2 minutes.Atlantic DriftAn earlier even shorter version of Atlantic Drift written for violin and piano was first performed by PeterSheppard Skaerved and Aaron Schorr at the Royal Academy of Music London on 9th May 2006 in a concert to celebrate the 70th birthday of the American composer and transatlantic communicator Elliott Schwartz. The melody isoriginal though clearly influenced by the music and perpetual tides of the Hebrides. Duration c. 3 minutes.Rain and Mist are on the Mountain I'd Better Buy SomeShoesThis four-movement duo for two violins is based on a fragment of a Gaelic folk song from Barra in the Western Isles of Scotland. The title suggests that although the Gaels of yesteryear were rich inpoetic expression and the beauties of nature they were otherwise not very affluent. Rain and Mist was first performed at the Wigmore Hall London on 6th February 2005 by Corina Belcea and Laura Samuel.Duration c. 6

A Song Of Departure. Composed for the Schubert Ensemble?s farewell tour and modelled on ?Abschied? from Schubert?s Schwanengesang, this four-minute piece gives each player a brief solo before the work?s close. A light-hearted piece that is ideal for the end of a concert programme or as an encore.

A Song Of Departure. Composed for the Schubert Ensemble?s farewell tour and modelled on ?Abschied? from Schubert?s Schwanengesang, this four-minute piece gives each player a brief solo before the work?s close. A light-hearted piece that is ideal for the end of a concert programme or as an encore.

First performed by Ulli Heinen on 28th May 1999 at the CBSO Centre Birmingham. Duration 15 minutes.

Judith Weir: My Piano Quartet (2000) is part of an extended series of works for piano and strings which I have written over the last twenty years - although I didn¹t know it was going to be a series when I wrote the first of these works Music for 247 Strings in 1980. During this period it has been far more usual for composers to write for mixed wind and string ensembles. But I continued (and still continue) to be fascinated by the potential of strings and piano; particularly the chance to write for the instruments as soloists or as a group and often to use both these options simultaneously.String Parts.Premiered July 2000 at the Cheltenham Festival by the SchubertEnsemble.Piano Score available: CH61794

Judith Weir's Night is a work for Violin and Cello. Commissioned by Enterprise Music Scotland Night was written for High Heels and Horse Hair - comprised of Alice Rickards (Violin) andSonia Cromarty (Cello) who gave the first performance on 3rd November 2015 at Cottiers Theatre in Glasgow. Please note this item comes with two scores - one for the violinist and another for thecellist. Night was written for a late evening concert which aimed to use lighting design to explore aspects of life in the dark in three distinct but interrelated parts - NightMenagerie Night Anxiety and Late Night Radio.