Sonny Burnette

Scenes of England

Scenes of England' by Sonny Burnette is a four movement suite for flute choir. The first movement, The Windsor Royals, is full of regal flair, opening with a fanfare which is followed by a stately theme. The low flutes are used to portray an atmosphere of the aging past in the second movement, The Dungeon of Warwick Castle, while swirling triplets and sextuplets in the piccolos and upper flutes represent the River Avon flowing outside the castle walls. Written in the style of an evening prayer of the Anglican church, the third movement, Evensong at Worcester Cathedral, begins with a single voice which is eventually joined by the others to imitate the sound of a large pipe organ. The Bard's Stratford-upon-Avon, the fourth movement, portrays the atmostphere of a renaissance festival, with a lilting melody in 6/8 time.