PAGE TURNS

Try and arrange your pages so page turns can be facilitated easily and at the least disturbing
points. A semiquaver rest won’t suffice!

PROGRAMME NOTE

It doesn’t need to be long but a little education can go a long way and really help the audience
enter into your world.
For example we recently performed a quartet by Simon Holt who uses the poem shown below as
the inspiration for his work ‘Two movements for quartet.’

Composer’s Note

I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –

The Stillness in the Room
Was like the Stillness in the Air –
Between the Heaves of Storm –

The Eyes around – had wrung them dry –

And Breaths were gathering firm
For that last Onset – when the King
Be witnessed – in the Room –

I willed my Keepsakes – Signed away

What portion of me be
Assignable – and then it was
There interposed a Fly –

With Blue – uncertain stumbling Buzz –

Between the light – and me –
And then the Windows failed – and then
I could not see to see –

Emily Dickinson

Two movements for string quartet is the second part of my proposed five-part cycle ‘a ribbon of
time’, the first part being Sunrise, yellow noise for soprano and orchestra. It is a cycle of pieces
using the poetry of Emily Dickinson as its starting point.

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The two movements take their titles from the above poem: ‘Blue – uncertain stumbling Buzz –
and ‘The Stillness in the Room’ respectively. More or less all the material for the piece is derived
from the opening viola solo of the second movement. It is approximately 15’ in duration.

Simon Holt, April 2001

Now you’ve read our guide to the String Quartet – visit our Blog Page
http://www.brodowskiquartet.com/2011/07/14/young-composer-of-dyfed-blog/

Why visit our blog page?

Ask us a question directly
See musical examples of different styles of composing for String Quartet
Watch a visual guide to sound effects

And lots more to come....

We look forward to meeting you in Wales

David, Catrin, Felix and Vanessa (The Brodowski Quartet)

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