Dances Overheard

Notes

In 2004 I was commissioned by violinist Peter Banks to write a piece celebrating his 70th birthday that he could play with his quartet colleagues. I asked if there was anything he’d like me to allude to in the quartet, and after a while he came back with three British dance tunes; Northdown Waltz, Dick’s Maggot and Haste to the Wedding. These tunes each hold a special significance for Peter, and it was a pleasurable challenge to knit them into the fabric of the piece.