This and That

Notes

It is easy to take peace for granted if we are lucky enough to live in a peaceful part of the world. And though it is in all of our interests, peace can be so difficult to achieve and we are horribly aware of places where the population is not so lucky. Yet evidence shows that in proportion to population, humanity has never known times where violence is so infrequent.

Neither the music nor the words here are specifically about peace or violence, yet Ira Lightman’s text does hint at the difficulty of achieving peace –  and much else besides. A synergy exists between the text and music, central to how this piece operates: the words are vivid and unexpected despite their clear framework, the music more expansive, finding a momentum and expressivity of its own.

Composed during the summer of 2012, this and that  owes its existence to Classical Revolution Manchester. It was first performed in a concert to raise funds for the charity Musicians without Borders, as part of the Manchester Peace Festival 2012. I am indebted to Heather Bird for the opportunity to write this work, and to Ira Lightman for providing such inspiring texts to set to music.

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