Flodden by Sally Beamish is a 28-minute work for soprano and chamber orchestra with texts by R.S. Craig, Jean Elliot and J.B. Selkirk, with two interludes in between. It was written in 2013 for the 500th anniversary of the tragedy at Flodden Field, a battle which led to casualties and losses of historic proportions. Sally Beamish decided to set the texts and to write for soprano to express the grief of those left behind – particularly the women and children. The orchestration throughout the work is spare and angular; characterized by stark exposed solo lines, nervy ornamentation, and blurred string textures.
Flodden was commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, supported with funds from the PRS for Music Foundation, RVW Trust, Cruden Foundation and Hope Scott Trust. It was first performed in September 2013 at Hamilton Town House by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Swensen, with soprano soloist Shuna Scott Sendall, and was shortlisted for both a Royal Philharmonic Society and a British Composer Award. The full score (EP 72932) is available for sale as part of the Peters Contemporary Library. The performance material can be hired.
- ISMN: 9790577017945 (M577017945)
