A selection of Dunkin Wedd’s music for strings.
‘You sense that you are being taken on a wonderful music adventure to places far and near, without having to travel any further than your own CD player’
– BBC Music magazine, March 2015
‘A composer of great versatility yet with a clearly defined personal style. His music deserves a wider audience, particularly his very fine third quartet.’
– The Classical Reviewer
On the CD:
Three Brunel Crossings †
Rotherhithe – Saltash – Clifton.
This piece is primarily concerned with rhythm. It combines classical forms with rhythms from jazz, folk and Latin-American styles, with a dash of minimalism.
Django ‡
A cheerful ten minute piece for violin and piano written in the year 2000, Django is a jazz sonata in four movements. It takes its name from Django Reinhardt, the amazing gypsy fiddler turned guitarist.
Homage to Luis *
This piece from 1996 is for string quartet, and is my homage to the composer’s uncle Luis Wedd (1913 – 1945), who took his own life.
Piano Trio §
9. Township Stomp ~ 10. Slow ~ 11. Morrish Dance ~ 12. Finale
String Quartet No 3 *
First Fine Careless Rapture – Second – Scherzo (Canonballs) – Final Fling
The piece from 2001 was commissioned by her parents for Gillian Ripley on her graduation. The score is inscribed with Browning’s lines:
That’s the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
Lest you think he never can recapture
The first fine careless rapture.
Like Water and Like Wind †
Like Water and Like Wind, written in 2004, uses serial technique – but as a point of departure not as a straitjacket.
The objective was to use serial technique to generate music that moves the spirit: the emotional content of this deeply personal music is exemplified in the title and the verses from which it is drawn.
Performers
* The Bingham String Quartet: Steve Bingham, Marina Gillam violins; Brenda Stewart viola; James Halsey cello
† The Bingham String Ensemble: Steve Bingham conductor; Jeff Moore, Gill Ripley, Phil Aird, Marina Gillam, Hazel Correa, Jamie Foreman violins; Brenda Stewart, Nichola Blakey violas; Nicky Anderson, Viv Williams cellos; Chi-chi Nwanoku bass
‡ Steve Bingham violin; Maurice Hodges piano
§ Steve Bingham violin; James Halsey cello; Maurice Hodges piano