Dawn’s Dove for solo recorder was composed in 1994. It was first performed by John Turner who commissioned it at a concert in honour of the sixtieth birthday of the composer Anthony Gilbert to whom the piece is dedicated.It is not a literal birdsong but I hope it captures the spirit of jubilant dawn chorus - as well as the softer sounds of a dove which does not get up as early as other birds! I wrote it while I was writing my opera 'The Wildman' and the epilogue of that opera is introduced by a piccolo solo which is very like Dawn's Dove - they share material. In the opera it signifies early morning.Part way through Dawn’s Dove the tempo becomes steadier and Iquote from a beautiful work of Anthony Gilbert his 'Towards Asavari’ for piano and ensemble. At the end of that work there is a trumpet solo which outlines the Indian raga on which the piece is based. My quote alludes to that.The unfolding melodic line of Dawn’s Dove is sometimes inflected by microtones; the piece lasts between two and three minutes.
