Concert Piece

On Leaving Wantage was commissioned by Ben Pepler & Blackweir Brass Quintet 2017. The piece is in three distinct sections and is based on the poem with the same name by John Betjeman.
The opening reflects the awakening nature in the early sunrise of the morning, followed by the gestural grand beauty of the town. The quicker and more harsh sounding middle section depicts a single figure in a world of isolation. Torment and anger in a setting of constant streaming from one event to another, a social injustice on our cultural system of day to day life. Finally, we once again witness the beauty and textures in our surroundings, what we have done to this area, what our species views as eye catching, may not be to others.

Duration: 4 Minutes 30

Difficulty: 4/6