Thea Musgrave

This was commissioned by the Norfolk and Norwich Triennial Music Festival in 1964. It was first performed by the Festival Choir and Orchestra conducted by Charles Mackerras.

Four short movements for two Bassoons.Composer's Note.Take Two Bassoons is planned as one of a series of light-hearted works for pairs of instruments written with advice from performers who are also experienced teachers. Many of these pieces explore some specific opportunities and challenges inherent in the technique of each instrument.There are four short movements: Jaunty Tenderly Angry and Running Wild.Note from Marc Goldberg.Thea Musgrave asked to meet with me in New York to discuss a set of duets she was writing and we got together over coffee near Carnegie Hall for an indepth discussionabout the bassoon. I confess to having had momentary misgivings when asked to list things that were difficult to do on the instrument envisioning for a moment an etude of unforgiving notes difficult dynamics uncomfortable articulations clumsy cross-fingerings and the like arranged back-to-back in an endurance test to challenge the best players on their best day.What she has in fact created is delightful a charming set of pieces full of character wit colour and yes challenge perfectly suited for student and teacher alike and wonderful recital works to boot.I couldn’t be more pleased to have had some part however small in their roots and am looking forward to calling these pieces and Thea Musgrave - lifelong friends.

A work for Soprano Woodwind 2 Horns and Strings.Duration: circa 15 minutesProgramme Note: 'This work was commissioned as a possible companion piece to Mozart?s Exsultate Jubilate and the decision was quickly made to write something as a complete contrast. The poems chosen one anonymous from the early 16th century the other two by the famous Scottish poet William Dunbar [1460? 1513?] describe the promise of salvation after life?s dark passage. Each of the three poems echo this thought: ?In celum ther is joy with Thee? ?A short torment for infinite gladness? and ?Since erdly joy abides never Work for the joy thatlastès ever?. Thus in each poem the poet can overcome the fear of his inevitable death with the certainty of salvation: this work also has its ?dark? moments but the overall mood is one of calmness and peace. As with the words there are several musical motives that link the three songs. The musical motive for the refrain ?Terribilis mors conturbat me? in the first macaronic poem [also a salute to Mozart since the Exsultate is in Latin] returns a little higher and more despairingly in each verse until the last verse where it is played a whole octave higher. This motive reappears [played mostly by the oboes] in the last song but now the pitch of each repeat goes in reverse that is from high to low. The famous motive of the Gregorian chant Dies Irae [representing death] is used to accompany the prayer of the second song. A musical motive for the joy of Paradise appears in the second song ?A free choice given to Paradise or Hell?. There is also a ubiquitous 3-note chordal cluster which is used to illustrate the words: sometimes as a colour and

Song Of The Burn is a 'cantata for a summer's day' written in 1954 by Thea Musgrave for SATB voices with a Piano accompaniment supplied for rehearsal. Based on a text by Maurice Lindsay.

Commissioned by the Scottish Ensemble first performed on 15th December 2008 at Queen’s Cross Church Aberdeen. Programme note   'This short work is about conflict – expressed here by the clash of opposing musical forces. One ‘force’ an ‘arioso’ is based around the harmonic field of E and is  melodic tonal straightforward and at times emotional. It is mainly led by the first  violin. The other ‘force’ led by the double bass is strongly discordant [at first a  single note F latergradually growing to a giant cluster]. It is essentially chordal  [non-melodic] static suffocating inexorable and impersonal. Its only contrast is  getting louder or getting softer getting denser or less dense. The interruption of the opening ‘arioso’ by a single note F on the double bass is at first not very threatening and the reaction to it is one of surprise. Later as the threat increases so the reaction becomes stronger; at first one of irritation then anger. A passionate outburst on the violins follows which falls on deaf ears. Then a solo violin solo viola and solo cello all appeal in turn: still no response. Finally only fragments of the original ‘arioso’ are heard before dying away. Whereas near the

For The Time Being is a setting of the first section of W.H. Auden's poem of the same title written in 1945. This work was commissioned by the BBC for the BBC singers who gave the first performance in April 1987 at St. John's Smith Square conducted by John Poole.Duration: c. 25 minutes.

This very short work written in 1997 is for unaccompanied viola. It is intended as a moment of peaceful contemplation after the day’s activities cease.

Written for orchestra. Commissioned by the City of Glasgow to mark the opening of a new International Concert hall on 19 October 1990 and to celebrate the city as cultral capital of Europe.Rainbow is a soundscape in both a literal and a figurative sense. In nature of course a rainbow heralds the end of a storm and the reappearance of the sun.

This work was commissioned by the Anglo-Austrian Music Society and was written in the last six months of 1966. It is dedicated to Nadia Boulanger for her 80th birthday - 16 September 1967.

On The Underground (or 'A Medieval Summer') is based upon texts from Poems On The Underground and was commissioned by the Ionian Singers with funds from The Holst Foundation. Written by Thea Musgrave for unaccompanied SATB chorus.

Walking down a darkened street it’s hard to resist looking in through lighted windows and catching a glimpse of other people’s lives. The imagination lingers…Night Windows is the title of a painting by Edward Hopper of a scene in one such lighted window. However the scenes in this work though reflecting something of the loneliness in so many of the Hopper paintings are all imaginary: highly charged emotional moments.Loneliness: Anger: Nostalgia: Despair: FrenzyThis work was commissioned by the International Double Reed Society and it is dedicated to Nicholas Daniel.

Cantilena was commissioned by the London Chamber Music Society to celebrate their move to King's Place in October 2008. First performed by Nicholas Daniel and members of the Chilingirian Quartet at King’s Place London on 5th October 2008. The work is a short lyrical piece where an outsider [the oboe] joins the group [a string trio] and adds to their dialogue. At first the newcomer is treated with a mixture of suspicion and agitation but eventually is made welcome. The oboe is invited to share the musical theme that has been established which he then proceeds to embellish and adorn. He leads the harmonic changes that result in the theme being heard in manydifferent keys. He then introduces a new theme. The excitement grows and leads to a climax. A peaceful coda re-establishes the original theme and all ends harmoniously among the integrated quartet.

Rorate Coeli for unaccompanied chorus was written in 1973 in response to a commission from the National Federation of Music Societies in Great Britain. It was first performed by the Thomas Tallis choir in Greenwich. It is a setting of two interleaved poems of the famous Scottish poet William Dunbar (written circa 1500). One poem is the Nativity poem of the title the other is the poem about the Resurrection: 'Done is a battle on the dragon black'. The work is framed by the rich chords of the opening line where full chorus is echoed by soloists. This setting of both poems simultaneously reminiscent of medieval polytextural techniques shows the future victory of theResurrection along with present joy of the Nativity. The chords of the opening return at the end combined with an exultant Gloria.

This work was written in 1958. It was commissioned by the University of Glasgow under the terms of the McEwen Bequest.