The starting point was the collected letters of Vincent van Gogh. In spite of the tragedies for which van Gogh is best known, his letters are filled with joyous exuberance for the practical considerations of his work: what he will paint next and, most importantly, what colours he will use. For Julian Anderson, it seems the painter relishes 'the sheer stuff of which his art is made'. In Van Gogh Blue, Anderson relishes the sheer stuff of which his own art is made. It's a very physical, highly contrasted work about the joy of sound. Instrumental colour plays a large role, and Anderson's use of two mobile clarinetists allows extra colour as their sound moves through the acoustic space of the hall. / Ensemble

The volumes of the Ad libitum series contain duos, trios and quartets of easy, medium and advanced levels of difficulty, which are playable with various combinations of instruments. Ad libitum Family Edition volumes are recommended mainly for families or groups of friends where at least two people play an instrument. Each of the pieces included can be performed using flexible instrumentation, whether there are two, three, four or even five persons who would like to play together. This volume contains fine and easy pieces for family celebrations, such as holidays, anniversary and birthday parties. At least one melodic and one accompanying instruments are required to perform the pieces: Part I: violin / descant recorder / flute / oboe / clarinet / soprano saxophone / trumpet Accompaniment: piano (to be played from the score) Any of the following optional parts can be added: Part II: violin / treble recorder / clarinet / trumpet Guitar Percussion Bass: cello / bassoon / euphonium / Ensemble