Description
Ecocycle (B59a ) [Symphony No. 4] is a symphony for soprano, mezzosoprano and orchestra using settings of four ecological poems by Peter Ainscough,
who was Director of Leisure Services for Humberside in the 1980s when the
composer first read them. It was written in 1991 and scored by February 1992 for
an orchestra of 2 flutes, ( 1 doubling piccolo) , 2 oboes, 2 B flat clarinets, 2
bassoons, 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B flat,, trombone, bass trombone, percussion
( triangle, cymbals and side drum) and strings. The orchestration deliberately uses
small numbers of instruments, though the numbers may be doubled according to
the location of the performance.
The movements are:-1, St. Francis and the Birds : Moderato
2. Oceanedge: Adagio ma non troppo
3. Refuse Tip: In Kabarettstil
4. Cetacean Joy: Molto adagio
1. St. Francis is envisaged as wanting to preach to the birds, but they have all
been destroyed by man’s activities. The music gradually moves from an
apparent C major to B minor and eventually F sharp minor as his
realisation dawns.
2. An onomatopoetic setting of seashore sounds.
3. A description of pollution, using a musical style similar to that of the 1920s
German cabaret.
4. The thoughts of a whale are portrayed using imitations of whale song,
ending in resignation and acceptance which brings peace to the movement
and the whole work and leaving a faint sense of hope after the preceding
despair of the first and third movements.
The zip file contains all 4 scores.
The instrumental and vocal parts are now available at
http://colinbayliss.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-220579_ecocycle__separate_instrumental_parts.html