Programme Notes – Boat Trip

Written in 2016, I wanted to explore the more lyrical and tranquil sounds of the wind ensemble in this seven-and-a-half-minute work, which is pitched somewhere in between the style of a barcarolle and a Satie Gymnopedie. The more intimate and chamber music qualities of the ensemble should come to the fore, particularly at the start. The mood is not all sweetness and light – the boat has to ride through some comparatively rough waters before vanishing into the sunset at the close.