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Work Information

Judith Weir : Wake your wild voice


Commissioned by the International Double Reed Society for the 2009 IDRS Conference
Publisher Chester Music Ltd
Category
Works for 2-6 Players
Year Composed 2008
Duration
10 Minutes
Orchestration bassoon, cello
Availability
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Full Score(s) CH75097 Full Score(s) Not available

Programme Note

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'Wake your wild voice is a duo for bassoon with cello accompaniment, lasting just under ten minutes. The bassoon plays a continuous virtuosic line, awakening, as the title suggests, a wilder, more passionate voice than the instrument is often allowed in classical music. The relationship between the bassoon and the accompanying cello could be compared to bagpipes; in this piece, the bassoon is the pipe (playing the melody) and the cello is the bag (providing a resonant chordal companion to the bassoon line).

The title is purloined from Sir Walter Scott's poem, 'Gathering Song of Donald the Black':

Pibroch of Donuil Dhu
Pibroch of Dunuil
Wake thy wil voice anew,
Summon Clan Conuil!
Come away, come away,
Hark to the summons!
Come in your war - array,
Gentles and commons.'

Reviews

  • Judith Weir was present for her Conservatoir commission Wake Your Wild Voice for rhapsodising bassoon and drone-like supporting cello (a medieval effect), an enthralling piece which does exactly what it says on the tin.
    Christopher Morley, Bimingham Post, 24/07/2009
  • Judith Weir has forged a reputation for finely, often sparingly crafted music of considerable originality and, in common with numerous other of her works, Wake Your Wild Voice for bassoon and cello, draws on Weir’s Scottish roots for its inspiration. The title, drawn from Sir Walter Scott’s “Gathering Song of Donald the Black”, is reflected in music strongly imbued with Scots atmosphere, the bassoon part evolving into a technically demanding “wild” voice, exploring a side of the instrument rarely exploited in orchestral spheres, whilst the cello provides an initially simple chordal accompaniment, clearly drawn from the drone of the bagpipes.
    Christopher Thomas, Seen And Heard International, 22/07/2009

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