Sweet Suite for String quintet
(2 violins 1 viola and 2 cellos) New: Videos based on these movements
mp3 downloads (using Synful):
If you would like to hear the suite uninterrupted (15 minutes) it is available here in its complete form.
Story behind the piece:
"Marie for shame" comes from the Ronsard poem as translated by my father: “Marie for shame you keep your bed too long. . . .”
The poem is one of those typical "gather ye rosebuds while ye may" conceits so beloved of the renaissance era.
"Nocturne" (assuming that Marie nevertheless stayed in her bed till sundown!) is an extravaganza of early twentieth century song harmonies. (This is my personal "death by chocolate" composition: compare "Lay a Garland" by Pearsall and Barber's "Adagio" if you desire to swim and swoon in yet more chocolate!)
Note: The above two movements (in their electronic preview form) have been used as curiously effective background to a rather unusual and rare film on YouTube...here.
"Camp David" is a jolly and rather camp skit on the traditional Yiddish folksong "Ich bin a meidel in de joren"
"Blue Boar Blue" is based on a quasi-
"Today was a summery Saturday
a day for reading Rabelais
a day to laze your cares away
today has been a symphony in green
a menthol flavoured dream...
But the dream was made for two
and the number two is you. . . . "
The score and parts of this suite can be obtained from Da Capo Music Ltd in hard copy or
in downloadable pdf format from My Score Store