London Landscapes (2015)
wind orchestra / concert band: duration 8 minutes
Commissioned by the London Youth Wind Band, director Geoffrey Harniess, this is a celebration of London, the city that I grew up in (my secondary school, no longer there, overlooked Tower Bridge and was next to what is now City Hall) but, rather than dwelling on the past, to focus on aspects of the present.
Thus the three movements focus on recent times: the first one is a portrait of the Millennium Bridge, with a steady procession of pedestrian sightseers (and the occasional wobble): the second describes the Shard, the 1000 ft. tower which is firmly on the ground, yet pierces the sky: and the final movement takes us to the vibrant and busy Canary Wharf financial district, though with a reminder of the watery docks on which it is built.
Read more about London Landscapes here
Link to scrolling score – hear and see the music
London Landscapes full score – inspection copy
Score and parts are available as a digital download to order from Colne Edition for £40 GBP, or from Sheet Music Direct or Sheet Music Plus (prices vary) for a print-ready pdf of score and all parts.
Audio of the final pages as Canary Wharf rises out of its watery foundations:
London Landscapes complete (with pictures), on YouTube
London Landscapes complete, on SoundCloud
Image of Millennium Bridge used by permission: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Millenium_bridge_2015.jpg