About this work:
Melody writing is something that long ago fell out of fashion in contemporary classical music. You can find it readily in film scores and in pop music, but generally not so much on the modern concert stage. Personally, I think that’s a bit of a shame. Nothing tweaks the heart like a good melody. Luckily, there have recently been signs that the art of melody writing is making a bit of a comeback.
So, in that spirit, here’s an entry from me into that arena – a blatantly and unashamedly melodic piece of light lyricism portrayed on the cello. This very song-like piece is written in a very song-like form, with verses, choruses, vamps and a bridge, much like a pop song.
The first verse and chorus are accompanied only by light pizzicato, leaving plenty of room for the solo cello to expressively sing its tune. After the first chorus, there is a quick vamp introducing some quick and agile little running figures.
As the song grows through the second verse and chorus, the viola begins to weave countermelodies and harmonizes with the cello. The bridge is given over to the first violin singing its own lyrical melody, followed by a weaving interlude that expands on the running figures from the first vamp. This eventually leads us back to the final verse and chorus, played this time with a much fuller arco accompaniment and with the chorus melody doubled in octaves by the first violin.