Sixth and last of a set of six short pieces for piano with the collective title
Shocklach Diary. These stemmed from moving in 2015 to a converted Methodist Chapel on the borders of Cheshire and Wales. Border lands have long held a strong interest for Martin Bussey, and the English/Welsh borders are represented in varied genres, including his
Border Studies for organ and the stage works
A Shropshire Lass and
Timeless Figure. Links between place and music are hard to define and seldom absolute, but they form a common strand in much music that has influenced Martin.
‘Greening Hedgerows’ is an unpretentious piece. It explores a musical idea that appeared in my head while driving back from a day on the Wirral coast at West Kirby. Its cheerful optimism, reflected in regular compound time and a melody with accompaniment texture, owes much to the Spring music of Frank Bridge and to the views from West Kirby across the Dee estuary to the North Wales coast.
You can watch Martin Bussey play the piece here: