The Race Day - an overture for orchestra (2002)

Commissioned by and written for the VU Kamerorkest on the occasion of its tenth anniversary in 2002.
Première: Groate Kerk, St.Jacobiparochie (Friesland, NL) on 3 November 2002. Conducted by Daan Admiraal.
Duration approx. 5'30".

When I first saw the wonderful painting by Jack Yeats, 'Galway races', I was immediately caught by it. Later, in 2002, when I was in Ireland spending my summer holidays, I was lucky to be able to go the Sligo horse races. I pictured some impressions of this event in this short and rather light-hearted composition.

Scoring:

2 Flutes (2nd also piccolo)
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets (2nd also bass-clarinet)
2 Bassoons
2 Horns in F
1 Trombone

Timpani

Percussion (one player)
piatti
piatto sospeso
snare drum
tambourine

Harp

Violins 1
Violins 2
Violas
Violoncellos
Double Basses

Featured

2020 - Centenary of the publication of W.B. Yeats's famous poem "The Second Coming" Listen to my musical setting of this poem here.

   Coming up in 2020:
      a work for soprano Channa       Malkin with guitarist Izhar Elias       and
      a work for the Leeuwarder       Madrigaalkoor with guitarist       Klaas de Jong. Text: Lorca's       poem "La guitarra".

Sudan (2019) for three female
voices. Read more ...

  Guitarist Klaas de Jong has      recorded "El alma dormida - in      memoriam Guido Topper."
     Great playing!
     Listen on YouTube here.

The dancer (2019) A new work for trumpet, marimba, violin & viola.

Blodeuwedd (2018) a dance poem for narrator, singer/reciter, dancers and ensemble. The poem is by the Welsh writer and poet Tony Conran.

Time to fly (2018) written for the Bron Saxophone Quartet.

   Ritual text for the afterlife for      female voice and vibraphone.
     (2019)
     Ancient Greek goldplates with      texts - recently found in graves -      that were carried by the dead on      their journey to afterlife.

Draaf, Foekje. Draaf!

Watch the television interview. (You need to understand Frisian, though).

Calendar

March 21, 2020
Time to Fly for saxophone quartet
the Bron saxophone quartet
De Kopermolen, Vaals

January 26, 2019
Music, when soft voices die (Shelley) for voice and guitar. Izhar Elias & Channa Malkin. (guitar and soprano) MerkAz, Utrecht. Premiere

February 9, 2019
Time to fly for saxophone quartet. The Bron saxophone quartet. Concerten de Korenwinde, Rhenen. Premiere

April 11, 2019
Homenaje pour le tombeau de Claude Debussy (Manuel de Falla) - arranged for flute, viola & harp ONEIROS ensemble.
Grote Kerk, Epe.

April 14, 2019
Time to fly for saxophone quartet. The Bron saxophone quartet.
Tilburg, Kapel Mariengaarde. 13.30

April 25, 2019
Time to fly for saxophone quartet.
Eindhoven, Muziekgebouw.12:30

May 12, 2019
Time to Fly for saxophone quartet
Burchtzaal / Kapel van Mariaoord
Rosmalen

May 26, 2019
Time to Fly for saxophone quartet
Cultuurcentrum de Ogtent, Duiven

Piz Amalia Music Festival 2019
The Dancer
for trumpet, marimba, violin & viola
18 September 2019, Konservatorium Winterthur
20 September 2019,
Bergkerk S-charl
21 September 2019, NAIRS Zentrum für Gegenwartskunst, Scuol
22 September 2019, Matineeconcert in Hotel Belvédère, Scuol
15 November 2019, Paleiskerk, Den Haag