"When Em Marshall invited me to write a shortoverture for the 2013 English Music Festival the wordthat irrepressibly sprung to mind to describe theFestival, Em (to whom the overture is dedicated) andthe name she had chosen for her festival magazine,was Spirited. The overture starts with an Allegro con spirito inalternating 6/8 and 5/4 with a sense of hushedanticipation and excitement. The tension of 6/8 and 4/4finally settles on 4/4 and a trumpet presents a heroictheme, punctuated by ricochet timpani. The themedevelops into a form that hovers between major andminor, then a chromatic version until it comes to rest inthe key of Bb major. The tempo is halved and a solohorn plays the main theme of the overture, one thatseemed for me to embody aspiration, and markednobilmente. The violins take it up and bring us back tothe heroic trumpet theme, accompanied by bright,dancing violin figures. The overture undergoes a short,quasi development section before a final statement ofthe aspiring, noble theme in the home key of Bb. Thetempo suddenly doubles and the heroic themecascades over itself in imitative entries to theconclusive fortissimo." Richard Blackford
- ISMN: 9790708129066 (M708129066)