Evening Lament

This short piece was written as part of an assignment I gave to ten composers whom I was tutoring on the Midwinter Composers' Course organised by CoMA. The task was to compose a variation on the Burns song 'Ca' the Yowes'. Each composer wrote a title, speed and mood indication on separate pieces of paper which went into three hats; then each of them picked one slip of paper from each hat. I took part as well, and drew out 'lament', 'mesto' - and 'fast'. I addressed this dichotomy by writing a great many fast grace notes in the context of a slow reverie.

I later incorporated this miniature into the fifth movement of Flodden - a work for soprano and orchestra.

The first performance was given by Natalie Bleicher on 6th January 2013, at the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building in Oxford. She then gave the London premiere on 15th November at the Schott shop, and has recorded it on her CD Dream Rotation.

Sally Beamish