The Dark Labyrinth

The Dark Labyrinth, for cello and ensemble, divides into three large sections which are played without a break. In the outer sections the cello struggles to be heard amidst the scurrying semiquavers of the other instruments – an idea inspired by the image of the drowning man in William Golding’s novel Pincher Martin. The central section is entitled ’The Labyrinth’ and is basically slower. It begins with a cello solo which is followed by the ensemble stating a labyrinth of different pulses. Throughout the rest of this section the cello ‘passes through’ various repetitions of the labyrinth to arrive at different ‘musical areas’. On the final occasion it arrives at the scurrying material which constitutes the final section.

The idea of following different routes through such a maze was inspired by the final part of of Lawrence Durrell’s novel The Dark Labyrinth.

The work was commissioned by Contemporary Regional Network Tours funded by the Arts Council of Great Britain. The premiere took place on 30 September 1987 at St Martins-in-the-Fields, London performed by the Parke Ensemble conducted by Stuart Dunlop with Lionel Handy ‘cello.

Philip Grange