The French
Connection

Bonjour!

Merci for joining us on our adventure through music of and inspired by France.

During rehearsals we work to discover what each composer is trying to say through their music.

Most of this music doesn’t have an explicit story, so we create our own. As you’ll see our imaginations are pretty wild.

We hope you enjoy our sometimes irreverent, sometimes surprising takes on these pieces.

Petite Suite Gauloise (1888)

Theodore Gouvy (1895-1982) France / Germany / Denmark

1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns

5 mins - 2 mins - 2 mins - 2 mins

I. Introduction & Minuet - Slow, tender romance, followed by a pompous, stern and assertive dance. A buoyant, more singing section intervenes before the dance returns.

II. Aubade - Gentle and lilting.

III. Ronde de nuit - Toy soldiers that come alive and go a bit mad.

IV. Tambourin - A wild ride at full pelt.

Seascape (1957)

Ruth Gipps (1921-1999) UK

2 flutes, oboe, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns

9 mins

A sailor (oboe) telling a tale of heartbreak as their ship on the ocean is endlessly rocking. Other characters (clarinet, cor anglais) join the storytelling, trailing off.
Suddenly - a lewd, drunken sea shanty.
The storytellers continue their tale of woe (bassoon, clarinet, oboe, horn).
Cut to sea shanty scene, which ends abruptly.
The sad storytellers return (flute; horn and bassoon).
We come full circle to our sailor (oboe) on the waves, and our other characters.
And after all that…a happy ending.

Consort for Ten Winds (2005)

Robert Spittal (b. 1956) USA

2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns

4.5 mins

II. Aubade

An homage - and a plea - for world peace. The flute weaves the opening tune, taken over by oboe and then others. The threads become richer and more complex before the flute calls for simplicity again. The music builds again to a strong affirmation, before a final ‘ahhhh’.

French Dances Revisited (2004)

Adam Gorb (b. 1956) UK

2 flutes (including piccolo), 2 oboes (including tambourine), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns

2.5 min - 3 min - 2.5 min - 3 min - 2 min - 3 min

I. Overture - Evil old money in a slow stately procession. Then suddenly, cut to maids scurrying frantically around a maze.

II. Allemande - Sad, lonely and introspective.

III. Courante - A romping ride on horseback.

IV. Sarabande - Fog rising on old, dark 18th century London streets.

V. Gavotte - Like a film cutting from one scene to the other. Dainty dances spliced with gruff, loud grumpy voices.

VI. Gigue - ‘Tee-hee-hee’: Filled with mischief! Listen out for when the evil old money from the Overture makes an appearance. Perhaps our cheeky urchin stole something? Don’t worry. Cheeky wins!