Leos Janacek almost seventy years old characterised the wind sextet he had just finished as 'a kind of memory of youth' in a letter to Kamila Stösslová. The suite Youth was written in the summer of 1924 prompted by the composer's need to take stock on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Janacek also heard the Parisian ensemble Societe moderne des instruments a vent several times in Salzburg and Brno. He expanded the classic quintet scoring by the addition of a bass clarinet.Janacek referred to an earlier part of his life in this work not only by quoting a theme from March of the Blue Boys but particularly through his general freshness ofexpression astute humour and use of form which adhered to the classical style.The piece was enthusiastically received by both critics and the public and appeared in print as early as 1925 issued by the Prague publisher Hudebni matice.Wind sextet in the classical styleUrtext based on the Critical Complete Edition of the Works of Leos JanacekNew foreword by Jiri Zahradka (Cz/Eng/Ger)

Flexible Woodwind Ensembl-This suite of folk songs is scored for woodwind quartet and a single unpitched drum. Although the nominal scoring is for flute two clarinets and bassoon the piece has considerable inbuilt flexibility of scoring. The options for instruments on each part are as follows: Part 1: Flute oboe or soprano saxophone Part 2: Bb Clarinet or alto saxophone Part 3: Bb clarinet alto saxophone or tenor saxophone Part 4: Bassoon bass clarinet or baritone saxophoneThe piece may be played by any combination of these instruments. Where necessary some passages have been transposed down an octave in the soprano alto and tenor saxophone parts.Where this occurs the lower pitch is also included in the score. There are also a few notes in the bass clarinet part of the March which have been taken up the octave through necessity; similarly this is indicated in the score.The drum should be unsnared and of medium low pitch. A bodhran tenor drum low tom-tom or floor tom are suggested although in the end it is up to the performer!The folk songs used in the piece are not particularly well known these days. 'Gan to the Kye' is an example of the rich culture of traditional music from Northumbria. The title means 'Go to the cows' and is a love song in which the herdsman asks his lover (in a gesture possibly lacking somewhat in romance) to accompany him whilst he tends his herd of cattle.The second movement is a setting of 'Rosemary Lane' a beautiful Somerset song. It tells of a serving girl ill-used by a sailor; as so often in traditional music the beauty of the tune is quite at odds with the unpleasant circumstances related.'Gently Johnny' is a good-humoured song in which the enthusiastic suitor is teased by the object of his affections: he is asked to cool his ardour whilst at the same time being left in no doubt that his attentions may be as bold as he wishes! The middle section uses another song this time from Middlesex called 'Jack Williams'.