Festival Sarabande

Richard Pantcheff (b. 1959) is internationally-renowned as a composer of the highest quality contemporary music. His output is predominantly for voices and instruments, and comprises numerous choral works, a song cycle, Sonatas, a Requiem, part songs, and a large number of works for Organ. He commenced his musical career as Head Chorister of Ripon Cathedral, (BEFORE my time there as Assistant!) at the time of the Cathedral’s 1300th anniversary celebrations. During his time as a music scholar at Senior School, he corresponded frequently with Benjamin Britten, who acted as a mentor to him. He went on to read Music at Christ Church, Oxford, studying composition under Simon Preston and Francis Grier. His compositions have been commissioned, performed, published, and distributed all over the world. His music has received much critical acclaim, and been performed at many of the world’s best-known music festivals.

This is a neat piece written in 1995 for the 300th anniversary of the death of Henry Purcell. It is also in the Kaevin Mayhew book, "Pageant for Pipes" that so many of the pieces I've posted lately have come from.
This one seems to be a "cut above" and is a very cool combination of the old Sarabande format, with some very modern overtones.

Listen for the "tricky" ornaments were you trill with the 4th and 5th fingers, WHILE playing inner counterpoint. Also, you'll hear the Clarinet of the Solo in dialogue with the "nasal" sounds of the Choir. The piece has a fair number of tempo and meter changes, which I acheived with a subtle (I hope!) accelerando. And, in case you were worrying, the Tuber does play a major part in the funky middle section, and Mr. 32' Reed comes on at the end. Believe it or not, I ALMOST did it without the 32!!! WHAT was I thinking?!? ;-)