Winter Rites (2008) was written during a 2007 Ð 2008 winter residency in the Leighton Studios at the Banff Arts Centre, in Alberta, Canada. All of the melodic and harmonic material of the work is derived from a single melodic cell, heard in its entirety only in the middle movement in the solo cello part. Each movement receives its title from a Druid ritual performed during the festival of mid-winter. The three-movement work is performed without pause. The work was commissioned for Caryl Gompper by her husband Karl and son David. The following are three poems written by the poet Robin Chapman. They are representative not only of the music, but of our time together in the Leighton Studios.
Winter Rites (2008) was written during a 2007 Ð 2008 winter residency in the Leighton Studios at the Banff Arts Centre, in Alberta, Canada. All of the melodic and harmonic material of the work is derived from a single melodic cell, heard in its entirety only in the middle movement in the solo cello part. Each movement receives its title from a Druid ritual performed during the festival of mid-winter. The three-movement work is performed without pause. The work was commissioned for Caryl Gompper by her husband Karl and son David. The following are three poems written by the poet Robin Chapman. They are representative not only of the music, but of our time together in the Leighton Studios.