Artengill - Duration 10'

The name of this piece comes from a Viaduct and area high up in the Yorkshire Dales on the route of the Settle to Carlisle Railway line. The music is written to illustrate the pasing of a day at the location and is a continuous tone poem that moves through its various sections without break. The opening introduction is a 4 note motif that is expanded and becomes the subject for a flute melody and string answer this leads into the Morning ( Molto Moderato) which opens with a lilting horn call. This call is again developed until it becomes the property of the entire orchestra and the first major climax. After the melody has run its course we enter Daytime, (Allegro Giocoso) in which the second half of the opening motif is develpped at a faster pace and interplayed between woodwind and strings. The heavy rallentando at the end leads us back to the Evening and Close. Solo string Instruments herald the end of the day as it were, and hints from all previous sections are used until the opening motif is reissued in in Canon. Thus completed the piece returns to the peace and quiet having thinned out to the original motif against tremolo strings.
Artengill is a revision of the Orchestral work that appeared in 1991 and was premiered by the Hessle Sinfonia, conducted by Alan Edgar. It has been computer set and alreadythere are performances planned. Copies are now available for perusal for any Orchestra that may be interested. Please email for sample score. The midi file playing is of this work.