Tales from the Village
Tales From The Village is a collection of seven short movements for Tenor Horn and Piano. As the title suggests, each movement is intended to be a separate "story" as told by a different villager. For this reason, each movement is completely self-contained and tells a short story (or "Tale") of its own - some playful and jovial, with others being sombre or restful.
The abstract nature of the movements being "numbered" rather than having individual descriptive titles is an intentional device to allow the music to converse with the audience and allow them to attain their own interpretation of what each story may be. Each movement can be performed separately, or some movements omitted for time-restricted performances.
I The first movement is marked as "Solemn" throughout. Emotive and expressive, it suggests a tale of loss or regret, with the dialogue between tenor horn and piano pulling through suspensions and sudden dynamic changes.
II Marked "Bright" in the score, the second movement is a much happier tale. It begins and ends with the performers playing in unison, but the story is primarily described by the tenor horn with long phrases and cross-rhythms off-setting the repetitive piano ostinato. Ending with an imperfect cadence, this appears to be an unfinished tale.
III This movement utilises extraneous musical techniques for the instruments - no notes are "played" for the duration of this movement. The overall "percussive" effect is suggestive of a workshop, or a blacksmith's shop, perhaps?
IV The "Melancholy" ambience created by the fourth movement is supported by the unconventional harmony and the long sustained phrases of the tenor horn, juxtaposed over the spacious piano lines. The "sighing" notated in the tenor horn part also gives an indication of the weary, almost somnolent nature of this individual's tale.
V This movement is the only Tale which is deliberately intended to depict a specific story - a true story. Mair Griffiths (mother to Heather, a close friend and colleague of Lucy Pankhurst) was a well-loved member of the community in her village. She was involved with all community events, including the local brass band. Loved and trusted by everyone she knew, her untimely death in April 2006 was a devastating shock. This movement is for solo tenor horn. The soloist can allow more space and time where required in the music, at their discretion. The balance between climax and silence is especially important here, as the pauses are included for reflection, to allow the audience to focus on their own individual life stories and recall memories and loved ones.
This movement is dedicated to Mair Griffiths.
VI The sixth movement, in direct contrast, focuses on the pianist as the soloist. The delicate melody is played twice, with muted horn supporting the harmony through the second time.
VII Marked as "Playful", the seventh and final movement is a pseudo-dance, requiring dexterity and control from both performers. Beginning with a solo cadenza, the full range of the tenor horn is exploited throughout, with a tricky accompaniment for the piano. Extended phrases and large intervals present some unexpected events - somewhat of a musical joke, the piece moves rapidly through several ideas before finally settling on the initial theme and concluding with a bump!