H71a Amistad 2
H71b Amistad 3
H71c Amistad 4
(2021)
Amistad 2 was first performed on 14 January 2026 at the Tung Auditorium, Liverpool by Mark Simpson, Basset clarinet and Daniel Jemison, Bassoon
Amistad 3 was first performed on 15 November 2023 at Klangwerkstatt Festival, Berlin by Ensemble JungeMusik members, Mike Flemming, Viola and Caleb Salgado, Double bass
Instrumentation: H71a – Basset clarinet and Bassoon H71b – Viola and Double bass H71c – Horn and Tuba
Duration: 6.5’
Scores and parts are available
Programme notes:
‘Amistad’ (catalogue number H71), which takes its title from the Spanish word for friendship, was written for two flutes in May 2013; a set of three pieces played continuously and based on the three syllables of the word a-mi-stad. The first piece begins on the note A and the second piece on E (-mi-) and the final movement has four sections of equal length which take the individual letters as their respective starting points; S (Eb/D#), T (B), the return of A and then D. It was written by way of thanks to Thierry Fischer and Emmanuel Pahud for their work on my Flute concerto, ‘Morpheus Wakes’.
In late June of this year (2021) I decided to arrange the piece for three different duos, namely ‘Amistad 2’ for basset clarinet and bassoon (H71a), ‘Amistad 3’ for Viola and Double bass (H71b) and ‘Amistad 4’ for Horn and Tuba (H71c). Mark Simpson and Amy Harman are, unsurprisingly, down to play the Basset clarinet and Bassoon version and it’s dedicated to them.
The pieces are generally as long as the original and last approximately 6’30”.
SH
29 November 2021
Reviews:
“[Mark] Simpson, playing basset clarinet this time, paired up with bassoonist Daniel Jemison for the UK premiere of Simon Holt's Amistad no 2. This was a series of short sketches, each complementing what had gone before but always bringing something new to the conversation. It was a bold dialogue between two players both pushing their instruments to extremes of their respective ranges and drawing on the respective virtuosity of both performers.”
Glyn Mon Hughes, Bachtrack, 15 January 2026