D’n’A – New commission for The Bridge Project
Commissioned by Scottish Ensemble, Ensemble Resonanz (Germany), Trondheim Soloists (Norway) and the PLMF Music Trust (Estonia) and supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, this piece has been written especially to bring string players – young, amateur and professional – together to celebrate the amazing richness of our shared European string music heritage
Open to anyone who plays a string instrument, there are parts for just open strings, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6-8. Individuals can record your tracks at home, or music groups / ensembles can submit group tracks captured during a rehearsal. Audio-only and audio-visual recordings will both be accepted and you’ll only need a mobile phone with a camera to participate. To register your interest and to receive updates please contact jana.robert@scottishensemble.co.uk.
About the piece:
The piece is primarily based on the open strings of a violin and reflects that the perfect 5th which occurs in nature is a common thread across cultures and borders. There are also influences from different folk cultures as well as European classical string music; Grazyna Bacewicz’ Concerto for String Orchestra (the section from letter J), Heinrich Biber’s Battalia (the ‘Bartok’ pizz and the paper under the strings to simulate a snare) and Vivaldi, as well as harmonic influences from ancient Georgian folksong and the use of strings in film, T.V. and gaming music… Rather than a ‘side-by-side’ I really wanted the beginner and intermediate participants to have their own voices within the piece (and to get to play the fun effects!)
Creative Group Composition 