• Simon Holt
  • Sparrow Night (1989)

  • Chester Music Ltd (World)

Commissioned by the Nash Ensemble

  • 1(pic).0.1(Ebcl,bcl)0/1000/hp.pf/str(1.0.1.1.1)
  • oboe
  • 17 min

Programme Note

Sparrow Night is composed for a mixed chamber ensemble of ten players with an important solo part for the oboist Gareth Hulse, whose playing I have long admired. The title stems from a Chekov story cited by Raymond Carver in his final book of poetry, A new path to the waterfall, in which terrible nights with thunder, rain and wind are called by some people 'sparrow nights'. Chekov goes on to describe one such night in his hero's life where his sleep is disturbed after midnight. Feeling himself oppressed with a terror, 'as though I had suddenly seen a vast menacing glow of fire', he hurries to the window to find that the weather is magnificent and cloudless, with a serene very bright moon, and perfect stillness. His spine however, is cold 'as though death were coming upon me stealthily from behind'.

© Simon Holt

Media

Sparrow Night

Scores

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Reviews

Holt built up timbral processes of great density that, above all in Sparrow Night, became really vehement and accentuated the dramatic character of the text selected for this work, where the fundamental concepts are terror and death…it was in the most intimate moments, with less instrumental density, when the music became even more thrilling.

(Translated by Shelley Hughes)
Pedro Ordoñez, La Opinion de Granada
1st April 2004

Discography

Simon Holt: …era madrugada

Simon Holt: …era madrugada
  • Label
    NMC
  • Catalogue Number
    D008
  • Conductor
    Lionel Friend
  • Ensemble
    Nash Ensemble
  • Soloist
    Fiona Kimm, mezzo-soprano
  • Released
    1993

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