Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Judith Weir
Fresh Air (2021)
- Chester Music Ltd (World)
For NYO Inspire
Composer's note: Although originally intended to be performed by massed woodwinds, the piece can also be performed with one performer per part
Programme Note
The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain's 'NYO Inspire' is indeed an inspiring initiative, offering a very large group of the UK's teenage instrumentalists free tuition and ensemble experience during a residential course. Leading members of NYOGB also take part, offering encouragement, and further inspiration, to their new colleagues. When I visited NYO Inspire's woodwind course in Liverpool in February 2020, I heard mind-blowing sounds, with each instrument represented by 15 or more players, in pungently strong tuttis and airy paragraphs.
Fresh Air is my response to this exciting experience. The piece has four detachable sections which spotlight, in turn, the flutes, bassoons, clarinets and finally oboes. Some extended air and instrument sounds are also included for the whole ensemble. My original intention was for 'Fresh Air' to be performed by massed woodwinds, but a 'solo' version with one player to a part is equally possible.
JW
Scores
Reviews
Judith Weir wrote Fresh Air specifically because of the lack of contemporary repertoire for large wind ensembles, here we had 28 players, seven of each type (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon) with the instruments going from large to small, low to high. Weir wrote the piece in four sections, each showcasing one instrument, with the others providing supporting structure. The result was a fabulous and engagingly fascinating series of instrumental textures that seemed to bring out the distinctive aspect of each instrumental group. Multi-layered flutes leading to low, low bassoons, to up-tempo clarinets travelling swiftly across their range, and finally oboes over drones. A series of imaginative and seductive sound worlds.
...a showcase for woodwinds that include[s] a bubbly bevy of flutes, a phalanx of bassoons playing in their grumbly lowest registers, and the joyful noise of massed oboes.