Marshes, Hamlets, & Roaming Cows
By Shirley ThompsonA Note from Concertmaster Holly Mulcahy
Opening with a distinctive cowbell, strings enter with a relaxing and swaying melody to help paint a picture of serenity. Little by little winds, trumpets enter this dialog, all the while the cowbell keeps sounding, creating a mood that lulls us into a landscape of a different time.
Marshes, Hamlets, and Roaming Cows is the first movement of a five-movement work called New Nation Rising: A 21st Century Symphony. This piece takes the listener on a journey through 1000 years of England's history, right into the 21st century. It was chosen to reflect on the power of a composer's voice to use ideas from the past and present, much the same way the Ravel was influenced when he wrote his Piano Concerto in G which is featured on the March Masterworks concert with Wichita Symphony.
Questions for thought as you listen:
1. What images or colors came to your mind as you listened?
2. Did the music inspire you to listen to the other 4 movements?
Leave us your comments
There are no wrong responses, just perspectives that are uniquely yours! More by Shirley Thompson:
