Julian Philips_Turning Fifty_EP73752_Score_Extracts

PHILIPS

Turning

Fifty for Baritone, Harp and Violoncello

Score and Parts

ISUU Version For perusal only

CONTENTS

I. Breath

II. Bachelor Uncle

III. The Curtain 19

IV. Pro and Con

V. Turning Fifty.

Duration: 25 minutes approx.

Turning Fifty is a set of five songs for baritone, cello and harp that set the poetry of Australian poet Judith Wright. The poetic world is private, domestic even, all five texts reflecting on moments of everyday lived experience: breath in the night air, a parent musing on their sleeping child, a significant birthday, all five poems informed with a heightened sensitivity for the transience of life and the cruelty of time. The musical world is predominantly gentle and intimate, the vocal style often sotto voce, with the cello acting as an instrumental double to the voice, and the harp widening the resonance of both music and text.

Turning Fifty is dedicated with affection to my friend, Chris Spice.

Julian Philips

ISUU Version

TurningFifty

For perusal only

I.Breath

Iturnedtothedarkwindow; outsidewerestarsandfrost. Mybreathwentouttothenight shapedlikeacloudoramist. Smallandsoullessghost, whatwasitmyheartmeant that,watchingthewayyouwent, itmovedsoundermybreast?

For perusal only

ISUU Version For perusal only

III.TheCurtain

Itwasthecurtain,softlyrisingandfalling, remindedmeyouwerehome,whohadbeensolongaway; andwhenIwenttowakeyou,Istoodinsilencewatching yourmouthsoftenedinsleep,thelidswhereyoureyeslay.

Sogrownyoulooked,inthesameunalteredroom, somuchofyourchildhoodyouwerealreadyforgetting, whileIremembered.Yetintheunforgettingdream youwillcomehereallyourlifeforrenewalandmeeting.

Itwasyourbreath,sosoftlyrisingandfalling, thatkeptmesilent.Withyourlidslikebudsunbroken youwatchedontheircurainyourlife,astreamofshadowsmoving. WhenItouchedyourshoulder,Itoohadalittledreamedandwoken.

p

Lullaby,gentlyrocking (q=c.45) Bar.

ptenderly

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ISUU Version For perusal only

Julian Philips

Julian Philips (b. 1969) studied music at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and his compositions have been performed at major festivals and venues including the Proms, the Tanglewood Music Festival, Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne. A significant composer of operatic music, Philips’ work includes Followers, The Yellow Sofa, and Knight Crew (libretto by Nicky Singer) commissioned by Glyndebourne (2010). Welsh National Opera commissioned two chamber operas, Dolffin and Wild Cat. Other works include two ballets for English National Ballet, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and The Snow Queen. Julian Philips is Honorary Fellow of, and was made Head of Composition at, the Guildhall School of Music in 2004. He has also taught at Cambridge.

Julian Philips (*1969) studierte Musik am Emmanuel College in Cambridge. Seine Kompositionen sind bei führenden Festivals und in renommierten Häusern erklungen, darunter die BBC Proms, das Tanglewood Music Festival, Welsh National Opera und das Opernfestival im englischen Glyndebourne. Philips ist ein bedeutender Opernkomponist, und seinen Schaffen umfasst die Bühnenwerke Followers, The Yellow Sofa sowie Knight Crew (2010), ein Auftragswerk für Glyndebourne auf ein Libretto von Nicky Singer. Zwei Kammeropern, Dolffin und Wild Cat, entstanden im Auftrag der Welsh National Opera. Zu weiteren Werken gehören zwei Ballette für das English National Ballet, nämlich Les Liaisons Dangereuses und The Snow Queen. Julian Philips ist „Honorary Fellow“ der Guildhall School of Music, wo er 2004 zum Leiter der Kompositionsabteilung ernannt wurde. Außerdem lehrte er in Cambridge.

The Peters Contemporary Chamber Series offers the opportunity to discover new works to programme, study and play. Representing the full breadth of our library of modern chamber music, this curated series of performance materials ranges from established repertoire to pieces recently premiered.

Mit einer sorgfältigen Auswahl aus unserem breitgefächerten Katalog moderner Kammermusik lädt die Peters Contemporary Chamber Series dazu ein, neues Repertoire zu entdecken, zu erkunden und zu Gehör zu bringen. In Form von Aufführungsmaterialien umfasst sie etablierte Werke ebenso wie erst kürzlich uraufgeführte Kompositionen.

Photo © Jamie Smith