Paul Carr

Gentle Music

Orchestration:
Strings (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
A Gentle Music is a suite for string orchestra in three movements composed during the months of September and October 2008 on the beautifully serene and gentle island of Mallorca. All three movements are written in homage to the landscape and seasonal changes of the island that I have enjoyed whilst living here.
The opening piece 'Running with dogs' was written following a few hours on the beach at Canyamel with my three little Mallorcan Rateros dogs. It was a stunning winter afternoon, with a crisp blue sky and a warming sun cutting through the chill of the sharp wind. The beach was deserted, save for me and my dogs, enjoying their first ever experience of the sea and the wide open sands. The elegiac central movement, 'The quiet arrival of rain' motions the move into autumn and its soulful loneliness. A gentle rain in early October is a reminder that the season is changing - its tears, a necessity of that change.
Finally, 'A warmer air' enjoys the slow move out of winter into spring, when the breezes take on a softer edge and the island is flooded with colour. First come the almond blossoms which cover the island in pink and white in late February, followed by the brilliance of spring flowers in yellows, lime-green, blues, white, and vibrant poppy reds, lifting the spirits and opening our thoughts to new beginnings. PC

Duration: 12 minutes
A PACK comprises one full score and strings 4/4/3/4/2