Fifth 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, along with a sense of history, evident in this piece.
‘Maiden Castle’ sits on top of Bickerton Hill, the nearest hill to Shocklach in Cheshire, on the Sandstone Ridge. A site of early dwelling places, it is a hill-top fort. Being one of few elevations nearby, it gives views across to the Welsh Hills and, on a clear day, the cathedrals in Liverpool are visible. The sense of time is strong there, heightened by the view of a broad, imposing landscape. The sense of distance is reflected in a wide-ranging melodic idea played by both hands two octaves apart. This contrasts with passages in the lower half of the keyboard creating a sense of a possibly turbulent past. The piece builds to a climax using quartal harmonies before subsiding into the opening idea again.
You can watch Martin Bussey play the piece here: