Page 63 - ASMF Marriner 100 Coverage Book

The piece pays homage to the late, great Sir Neville Marriner, through the
performance vehicle of his grandson, percussionist Douglas Marriner. Is that
correct?The occasion of this concert and tour is to celebrate the legacy of Sir
Neville, and the premiere of Flight has something to do with it, to show the forward-
looking aspirations on the part of the orchestra, to open some doors to an expanded
view of orchestral repertoire. On a personal note is the legacy of the Marriner family,
Andrew the principal clarinetist, and of course Douglas, who I imagine has been a
part of the Academy family since his childhood.

What does the title signify, and how would you characterize the musical language —
harmonically and rhythmically, for instance — of the piece?

The starting point of the musical language has a lot to do with the context of the rest
of the Academy repertoire for the Santa Barbara concert, which is decidedly post-
romantic in nature. The good news is that a lot of the approach to lyricism in my
music is inspired by Brahms and Schumann anyway, with a sprinkling of Stravinsky
and Wayne Shorter.

Moreover, I saw the juxtaposition of the orchestra with violin and drum set as a
recipe for invention, and especially for providing a new point of view that enhances
our understanding of a story. I began to think of the drum soloist as the unexpected
party guest, who in the end changes the direction of the party to a new and exciting
mood, energy, and emotion.

I do take a more improvisational approach to phrasing, and a quasi-theme-and-
variation treatment over the course of the piece. I also enjoy the blurring of the lines
between what is written for Douglas and what he would otherwise choose to play
with Joshua to accentuate a particular melody, rhythm, or energy. I’d rather think of it
as an improvised late-night jam session amongst musical rivals.

The title was inspired by a poem by British poet Philip Larkin, musing on the fleeting
and unstoppable nature of time.