Work
Solstice
for orchestra
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About
Solstice was written at the time of the Winter Solstice, and my thoughts were of the cold earth, and the rituals that have been performed through the ages to encourage the coming of sunrise, warmth, light and rebirth. The cor anglais is prominent throughout, as a kind of “steady voice”, while the various moods of the piece fluctuate around it. I also found myself remembering childhood landscapes, especially images of the sea, and these two ideas become entangled, so that in fact the piece cannot be seen as programmatic to any great degree. Both Solstice and Elegy were written during my year as Composer-in-Residence with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in 1997.
Commissioned note
Originally composed when Composer in Residence with the APO in 1997, revised 2013.
Difficulty note
Suitable for Professional or semi-professional orchestra
Dedication note
Dedicated to the composer's father, Noel Holmes
Performance history
03 Sep 1998: Performed by the Auckland Philharmonia cond. Enrique Diemecke; Auckland Town Hall
02 Oct 2001: Performed in a rehearsed reading by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hamish McKeich as part of the NZSO-SOUNZ Readings
Performed by The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Cor anglais solo by Madeline Sakofsky. Conducted by Marc Taddei.