Matthew Taylor (b. 1964)
“The
Old Man of Storr” (or “Storr”) is a collection of rock formations which
lie high on the Totteridge peninsular on the Isle of Skye. It is one of
the most impressive and best loved sights on the island noted
particularly for its highly distinctive craggy outcrops, appearing like
jagged, giant teeth protruding from the ground. But equally spectacular
is the massive expanse of barren terrain just below these cliffs known
as “The Sanctuary”.
I
was so struck by the beauty, majesty and grandeur of Storr after my
first ascent that I felt compelled to compose a symphonic poem on the
subject, even if the precise character, scoring and overall architecture
of the piece still remained unclear at this early stage.
When
my old friend Tom Hammond approached me with the idea of commissioning a
new work for the Essex Symphony Orchestra he suggested a piece which
might provide a parallel, in a general sense, with two other works
which conjure specific landscapes, The “Needles” Overture and “Blasket
Dances” . The choice of “Storr” seemed obvious.
The
work is cast in four continuous sections and last about 13 minutes. The
opening is slow and spacious but becomes increasingly reflective and
lyrical as it continues, suggesting the first impressions of Storr in
the midst of ever- changing cloud formations seen from a distance and at
ground level. It leads directly into a second fast section which evokes
a steep ascent through forestry with sudden flickers of sunlight and
occasional glimpses of bright sky. The texture of the music is very
light and transparent but nonetheless highly charged and active, perhaps
resembling something of the mood of a Mendelssohn scherzo. Eventually a
climax is reached which marks the opening of the third part. There is a
more deliberate, striding momentum here conveying large open spaces on a
plateau which soon relaxes into an extended flute solo - distant bird
song . The final section, another ascent, takes the form of a vigorous
fugue introduced by cellos. This last climb is perhaps the most
strenuous part of the journey, but there is nonetheless a great sense of
expectancy as the summit of Storr is now very close, even if we are
more fully exposed to the elements. But we are rewarded with magnificent
vistas when reaching the peak where the music culminates on a huge
string chord stretching over many octaves clearly outlining the tonal
centre of E.
Storr
was commissioned by the Essex Symphony Orchestra with funds provided by
the PRS Foundation and The Britten Pears Foundation. It was first
performed by the Essex Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tom Hammond in
Christchurch , Chelmsford, Essex on Saturday 3 March 2012.
It
is dedicated to Charles and Jo Warden, my wife’s parents who were the
first to introduce me to the glories of Skye. The full score was
composed between March and August 2011.
The performance tonight is the London premiere.
© Matthew Taylor 2011
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