H86 Epithalamion (2018)
The final movement 'Epithalamion' was first performed on 7 July 2019 during the Australian Flute Festival at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music by Joshua Batty (flute). The full version was first performed on 5 December 2019 at the Museo Novecento, Piazza di Santa Maria Novella in Firenze, Italy by Manuel Zurria (flute) and Mark Knoop (piano).
Instrumentation: Flute (doubling Alto) and Piano
Duration: c. 15’ (final movement - c. 8’)
Programme note:
The impetus for ‘Epithalamion’ came from the ode of the same name by Edmund Spenser, written to his bride, Elizabeth Boyle, on their wedding day in 1594. The piece begins with a brief piano solo, ‘confusèd noyse’; “The whyles the boyes run up and downe the street, Crying aloud with strong confusèd noyce, As if it were one voyce,”, out of which comes a solo for offstage alto flute, ‘night Raven’; “Let not the shriech Oule, nor the Storke be heard: Nor the night Raven that still deadly yels,”. This is followed immediately by another short piano solo, ‘tymbrels smyte’; “But most of all the Damzels doe delite, When they their tymbrels smyte, And thereunto doe daunce and carrol sweet.”. Then follows ‘Epithalamion’ for flute and piano which has the flautist onstage as normal. This final piece was written as a wedding present for my good friends, Ivan Hewett and Barbara Gentili and can be played separately if so desired.
SH
14 December 2022
N.B.
The first two piano solos are also the first two piano pieces in 'Migas Book 2'.
Past Performances:
7 July 2019 (World Première of Epithalamion final movement)
Joshua Batty (flute)
Australian Flute Festival
Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
5 December 2019 (World Première of Epithalamion)
Manuel Zurria (flute) Mark Knoop (piano)
Museo Novecento, Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, Firenze, Italy