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  • Judith Weir

  • The Wild Reeds (2013)

  • Chester Music Ltd (World)

Written to celebrate Thomas Trotter's 30th anniversary as Birmingham City Organist

  • org
  • 10 min

Programme Note

<i>The Wild Reeds</i> is a ten-minute partita, made up of an original theme followed by six variations, which are played continuously. The theme was partly inspired by folk music for outdoor wind instruments from eastern Europe, rugged yet delicate at the same time. Another important inspiration has been the organ sonorities which result from unusual divisions of the octave, producing strange chords and ghostly harmonisations of melodies. Above all, The Wild Reeds has been written for Thomas Trotter (who personally commissioned this music and gave much valuable advice during its composition) in honour of his remarkable thirty years as Birmingham City Organist.

Programme note © 2013 Judith Weir

Scores

Score Sample

Reviews

"parallel harmonies and ecstatic figurations abound but ultimately this is a delicate, touching work that will satisfy experienced organists and audiences."
Huw Morgan, Sunday by Sunday
1st December 2014
The theme’s transformations, as it acquired greater textural and harmonic complexity, were easily plotted (intelligibility is one of Weir’s greatest strengths) and Trotter’s use of the organ’s quieter reeds and flutes perfectly conveyed the work’s fascinatingly evocative nature.
David Hart, Birmingham Post
10th October 2013

Discography

Judith Weir & Jonathan Dove: Organ Works

Judith Weir & Jonathan Dove: Organ Works
  • Label
    Resonus
  • Catalogue Number
    B0CZ9RSMYT
  • Soloist
    Thomas Corns
  • Released
    May 2024

More Info

  • New album of Weir and Dove Organ Works
    • New album of Weir and Dove Organ Works
    • 5th June 2024
    • On this album, the organ works of Joanthan Dove and Judith Weir intertwine, revealing a shared fascination with the organ’s pictorial prowess, particularly in the depiction of watery motifs.