Echoes of the East
This suite of four movements was written for Dr. Robert Childs and the Buy As You View Cory Band. It is based on traditional music from Bulgaria and Romania. The work was first publicly performed at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow on 2nd May 2004.
Movement I: Village Wedding
It is midday and a wedding is taking place in a Romanian village. A gypsy band has come down from the mountains to entertain the guests with its distinctive dances.
Movement II: Twilight Romance
It is evening in a Bulgarian village and lovers walk hand in hand, as a soft love-chant drifts through the balmy air.
Movement III: Gypsy Festival
The Romanian gypsies have their own band tradition and gypsy bands compete at festivals. Everything is done at maximum speed, all the soloists trying to outdo each other in terms of brilliance.
This abridged version for brass sextet was commissioned by Black Dyke Band as part of the Arts Council Recovery Grant, and edited by Robert Childs.