Mavis

This very short piece is a simple repeated chorale, with a bird-like descant line.

Mavis is the Scots word for Song Thrush, but was also a source of great amusement to Max in a Las Vegas hotel, when they somehow mixed up his name and he appeared on the hotel register as 'Mavis'.

It was co-commissioned by Sound and the University of Aberdeen, and first performed by Rolf Hind at the Sound Festival, Aberdeen, on 20th October 2016.

The piece later became the starting point for the central movement  ('Requiem') of the 3rd piano concerto, City Stanzas.

Sally Beamish 2016