SKU: ST.C129

ISBN 9790570811298.

As I sit myself down to write this brief foreword, I ask myself can there be music more stirring than these old Cornish folk melodies? Though not Cornish myself (I confess to being born a little further up the road, in Bristol), I feel I have spent sufficient time in these 'ere parts to resonate with the sturdy brass band tradition that continues to permeate this incomparably beautiful, rugged county. One can almost detect a French 'accent' when listening to the piano music of Debussy, and likewise, speaking as a lapsed brass player, there is undoubtedly something of the Cornish twang about Trelawny when played on a cornet or euphonium. Then again, one gets a different, yet entirely convincing effect upon hearing these melodies rendered on woodwind instruments; hence, with a little gamesmanship on my part, I am pleased to see my collection of these fifteen delectable ditties come to fruition in the form of arrangements for treble clef brass instruments (in B flat and E flat), trombone and tuba (bass clef), horn in F, flute, clarinet and bassoon. While many will find themselves humming the likes of Going up Camborne Hill, Lamorna or The Helston Furry Dance even before they have turned to the first page - for these are indelibly intertwined with Cornish culture – I wonder if I might draw your attention to The Cornish Squire, The Pool of Pilate and Cold Blows the Wind Today Sweetheart, which are quite simply sublime melodies, perhaps needing that extra bit of help in bringing them to mind nowadays. In the best tradition of musical hand-me-downs, Cornish folk music works equally ideally sung and played, and only by doing so on a regular basis can such traditions hope to continue forward with vigour and authority. A legitimate way of achieving this is to revitalise the harmonic scheme of these ancient tunes and bring them up to date for a modern audience; after all, it was such an approach that fuelled the imagination of Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams in decades past, while skilfully paying homage to the underlying charm and, for want of a better word, simplicity, of the original music. But this is only a start – for without an energetic response from younger generations, Cornish folk music is destined to wither on the vine in much the same way as is happening with the Cornish dialect. So, put your instrument to your lips and proceed, not with caution, but with enthusiasm and a smile, for your great grandparents (and perhaps even their grandparents) would surely raise a glass if they could hear you doing your bit to ensure the survival of this splendid heritage.
Timeless Cornish melodies, cooked up for hungry clarinet players
Grades 1–4
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP1218.

SKU: PR.700613460

UPC: 884088946142.

Written in 1998, Pacific Serenade is a “peaceful serenade:” serenade as in: romantic, quasi improvised music which should be sung at night under the stars. The main “singer” here is the clarinet. In general the music is extremely quiet, delicate, sensuous and sentimental. The sensuousness is created by Latin song elements especially the nostalgic Brazilian folk song, which is at times combined with Blues style melody and harmony. The string quartet has a technically expressively challenging part which is not merely the accompaniment to the clarinet, but rather it is responsible for setting the mood in which the clarinet sings. This is Aguila’s opus 59 and it was commissioned by Pacific Serenades Ensemble of California who premiered the work in 1998. Of course the ensemble's name inspired the name of this work as well as its mood. In an age of boom boxes, media bombardment of information and pop culture becoming increasingly aggressive, boisterous and violent, I felt the need to write just the opposite… to show once more that less is more. -- Miguel del Aguila.

SKU: P2.30086

In the beginning of January, 2000 I completed a large-scale work for clarinet and orchestra. Upon its completion, I felt somewhat exhausted by the flashy and virtuoso style of writing which tends to typify the solo parts of concerti. This time... I decided to forfeit any pyrotechnical exhibitions by the soloist in favor of incorporating the instrument into the larger fabric of the orchestra. Concurrent with starting to work on this new piece, I was engaged in an altogether different project involving, among others, a Swedish deejay whose field of expertise is popular, modern dance-music.... During numerous evenings of CD listening to this genre of music, I was drawn to the way that rhythmically contrasting layers of music were constantly alternating between background and foreground. The resulting effect was of a continuously changing 'groove-pattern' even though the 'beat' of the music remained constant. I used this style of writing mainly in the fast, second section of the piece, which I felt gave it a distinct technotronic flavor. The mood of the opening movement is, however, undeniably romantic: thus the title of the piece, Romantatronic.