• hn/pf/vn
  • 20 min

Programme Note

This trio, for horn, violin and piano, was written in the winter of 2010 – 11, a winter of storms and snows of unusual ferocity, at home in the Orkney Islands, all of which is reflected in the music.
The folk-like melody which opens the trio, played by solo violin, permeates the whole work. It is subjected to a sequence of dramatic transformations (based on magic squares of Mars and Venus, and the campanology permutations of Grandsire Triples) of extreme virtuosity, giving each player opportunity for brilliant display.
At the end, the original melody is recapitulated – not quite in this original form, but in a weather – beaten condition – before a final quick curtain.


PMD