Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp

Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp op 36 are two independent compositions for string orchestra by Graham Waterhouse, who appeared together in the Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag 1998. Celtic Voices was created in 1995, Hale Bopp in 1997, inspired by the comet Hale- Bopp. The work contains a chorale strophe How lovely shines the morning star, which is intended for a boy soprano.

Celtic Voices

Celtic Voices, Op 36/1 for String Orchestra, a piece in a set of about 5 minutes, was composed in 1995. Explains the composer: "Celtic music has diverse origins in the various folk music traditions of the western regions of the British Isles, it is therefore not so clear how to define Celtic art that one easily recognized by their characteristic style of decoration. " Ivan March, described in his review in the trade magazine Gramophone a balance of virtuosity and lyrical tone, immersed in Phrygian modality. ( " Celtic Voices similarly balances virtuosity with lyricism and dips into the Phrygian mode to establish_link its underlying harmonic flavor. " )

Hale Bopp

Hale Bopp, Op 36/2 for String Orchestra with obbligato part for treble (or horn) in 1997 inspired by the comet Hale- Bopp, discovered on 23 July 1995 and the Great Comet of 1997.

This movement piece is about 7 minutes begins with tremoli, glissandi and instrumentation, the preferred extreme highs and lows. It ends with a stanza of the hymn How lovely shines the morning star ( Philipp Nicolai, 1599), where a boy soprano is accompanied by a string quartet. The composer commented: " A star in the strict sense is a comet not, but any celestial phenomenon has its place in the firmament, and all have always fascinated man. " This work was performed for the first time in 1997, the composer conducted the Orchestre d' Yverdon. During Advent 2011 Hale Bopp was listed in Borbeck, come along with Bach's Cantata Well, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, and the Christmas cantata The beginning of a new era of Graham Waterhouse on words of the Munich poet Hans Krieger.

Printing and recording

The two works of similar occupation was published in 1998 together as Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag. Both were in 2002 by English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Yaron Traub, recorded as part of the CD Graham Waterhouse Portrait 2. The CD of Meridian Records contains combined works by the composer for string orchestra and those for wind ensemble. Appears on the CD between the two works hymn for brass, which also uses a chorale melody, but as instrumental chorus. In his discussion Hubert Culot compared the work in its suggestion of an extraterrestrial atmosphere with Caeli enarrant ... ( " The heavens are telling ...") by Georges Lentz.