Programme note

This piece was originally commissioned by Fenella Humphreys in the form of a quartet for violin, accordion, percussion and double bass, to accompany her Vivaldi Seasons project, first performed at the 2020 Chiltern Arts Festival.

Inspiration came from two paragraphs from Thomas Wolfe’s novel Look Homeward, Angel:

1. Awakening

“The months passed in a soft, fluttering rhythm of delicate unfolding. The trees put forth tentative buds, a shy promise of green, and the earth, still brown and bare, began to stir with the first faint whispers of life. The air grew warmer, filled with the gentle touch of spring’s breath, coaxing the world out of its long winter slumber. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the garden began to awaken, each tender shoot and leaf a testament to the patient, persistent miracle of renewal.”

2. Burst

“..now, as they walked, spring came back again, bursting, exploding riotously, sweeping across the earth in a glad madness of green and gold. The air was charged with the odor of blossoms, the trees were a-dance with the new leaves, the fields and hedges were vibrant with the quick life of the season, the sounds and scents of creation’s morning filled the air.”

(extract perf. Presteigne Festival Orchestra cond. George Vass)