2022 | 7′
for Orchestra
“There is great skill shown in the handling of the orchestra […] with excellently timed climax points and directedness”
Michael Zev Gordon, composer
Programme Note
‘Earth’ is a single-movement thematic piece for orchestra exploring contrasting moods based on an appreciation of the natural world. I started writing the piece in the summer of 2020 after school finished abruptly due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic saw communities come together to support and care for each other, and daily government-permitted time for fresh air helped me better appreciate how we should equally respect and protect our planet. The piece opens with a simple, delicate piano melody before expanding into a full symphonic score, exploring a series of themes and variations passed around the orchestra. There are moments of stillness, fragility, force, and intensity, with playful wind melodies, grand horn motifs, and cheeky string pizzicatos.
Winner of the University of Birmingham Music Society Composition Competition 2022.
Michael Triggs 