Grieg Captures the Morning Sun with a Warm, Swaying Tune Played by the Flute and Oboe

Home , Peer Gynt, Peer Gynt (Grieg), Sailing By

Peer Gynt Suite No 1: 1 Morning (1876) Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) Grieg captures the morning sun with a warm, swaying tune played by the flute and oboe. Violins and violas echo surging cellos and the brass add flashes of light as the sun continues to slowly rise. The tune journeys around the orchestra as the clarinet and flute imitate a dawn chorus of bird song. The flute returns to the main tune, strings shimmer and the orchestra glides to a peaceful close.

Voices of Spring (1883) Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) This waltz, composed by the Viennese Waltz King, paints a vivid picture of springtime. The season arrives with a swirling waltz tune on the violins. Lambs frolic as violins leap before the whole orchestra joins in. The swirling sounds return before a frosty horn and fluttering flute interrupt a contrasting calm tune. As you listen imagine the trees swaying, flowers bursting into colour and birds singing before the orchestra finally bids a majestic farewell to winter.

Water Music Suite No 2: 2 Alla Hornpipe (1717) George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) In 1717 outdoor concerts and cruises on the River Thames were just one form of entertainment on long summer evenings. The hornpipe was part of a collection of movements composed for a royal event. Handel and his musicians performed on an open barge as King George 1 and his Courtiers followed. The fleet of barges journeyed up the river from Whitehall to Chelsea as stately strings and trumpets played the opening tune. The horns echoed trumpets before a string dialogue led back to the regal main tune.

Jaws: Main Theme (1975) John Williams (1932- ) The strings play a terrifying two-note pattern before the music gradually speeds up and the excited shark ploughs through the sea creating threatening waves. A relaxed tune follows as people walk on the beach but orchestral outbursts interrupt as a boat dashes out to sea to chase the shark away. The tense sound subsides as the rumbling timpani rolls the scene back to calm seas.

Sailing By (1963) Ronald Binge (1910-1979) This dreamy lullaby introduces the BBC Radio 4 Shipping Forecast every morning at 00:48. This important weather forecast is for ships sailing the seas around the UK. Rippling flutes lead to a sleepy violin tune tinged with the triangle. The flutes continue to ripple as the tune sails into the open sea and over the horizon.

Project MusicMakers: Concertino for Bottle Xylophone (2002) Gareth Glyn (1951- ) The Welsh composer Gareth Glyn wrote the Concertino for Bottle Xylophone as part of Project MusicMakers - a special project introducing the instruments of the orchestra and the science of sound to young people across Wales. Chris Stock, Principal Percussion, will perform this unusual composition using eight demi-john bottles and beaters.

Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes: No 4 Storm (1945) Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Fierce weather conditions battering the coastline in Lowestoft were the inspiration behind this stormy music. Pounding timpani and agitated strings lead to sinister trombones echoed by trumpets. Screeching strings battle against lively percussion and fearful woodwind. The strings sweep into a calm mood as the woodwind chatter but danger is imminent as the strings rise, tambourines shiver and the orchestra dashes into the eye of the storm with brilliant orchestral pyrotechnics.

Thunder and Lightning Polka (1868) Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) The strings and woodwind dive in with a lively dance tune as drums boom (thunder) and cymbals crash (lightning). The lightning intensifies before the strings glide on ignoring the clattering percussion. Woodwind squeal over swirling strings before the opening tune returns and a snare drum rolls the orchestra into a majestic ending.

INTERVAL

Singin' in the Rain: Main Theme (1929) Nacio Herb Brown (1896-1964) arr. Sutherland This chartbusting film musical hit the screens in 1952. The soaking wet Gene Kelly sang, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ the main title song, as he danced and splashed through huge puddles during a heavy downpour of rain.

By the Sleepy Lagoon (1930) Eric Coates (1886-1957) This music has been the signature tune for BBC Radio 4 ‘Desert Island Discs’ since 1942. The dreamy waltz is ideal music for relaxing. Imagine you are lying on a warm sandy beach surrounded by swaying palm trees and gently rippling waves as the hot sun shimmers in the clear blue sky.

Little Mermaid: Under the sea (1989) Alan Menken (1949 - ) arr. Glyn This Oscar winning song from the Disney movie is one of the most hilarious Caribbean calypso songs ever written. Imagine a mermaid with long legs who is so desperate to be a human she has to rely on the help of a singing crab (Sebastian) to get her onto the nearest beach. Sebastian does his best to convince the mermaid (Ariel) that it is safer and warmer under the sea where the water shimmers and sparkles against the beautiful colours of the coral garden.

Cantus Arcticus: No 2 Melancholy (1972) Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928- ) This second movement from Rautavaara’s ‘Concerto for birds and orchestra’ begins with an electronic tape of ghostly arctic birds as they migrate across the cold icy wilderness of the Arctic Circle. Mysterious violins and violas float in as the birds interact with a continuous dialogue. The volume of sound increases as dark cellos and double basses, woodwind and brass are gradually added to the texture. The sound then fades to lingering cellos and double basses as the birds continue their long journey.

Sleigh Ride (1948) Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) This winter novelty music was actually composed during a summer heat wave. After a brief orchestral fanfare the woodwind lead to the famous tunes on violins and clarinets. The brass provides whinnying interruptions as the percussion interact with trotting sounds and a cracking whip. The sleigh bells are played all through the music as the snowflakes flutter down from the icy clouds to the ground.

Grand Canyon Suite: No 5 Cloudburst (1931) Ferde Grofé (1892-1972) This musical postcard of the Grand Canyon in Arizona starts quietly as a storm approaches. Shivering strings swooping against a manic dashing piano creates spectacular weather sounds. The storm gets closer with orchestral lightning and roaring thunder from the percussion and striking repeated patterns in the brass until the torrential rain reaches the cloudburst. The storm gradually fades and the moon is left static behind broken smoke-like clouds to the strains of the cowboy tune ‘On the trail’.

Fantasia on British Sea Songs: Hornpipe (1905) Henry Wood (1866-1944) The ‘Fantasia on British Sea Songs’ was composed to celebrate the centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. The hornpipe dates back to the 15th century and this lively movement based on a famous tune called ‘Jack’s the Lad’, has been performed at the Last Night of the BBC Proms, with audience participation, since 1905.

For the younger members of the audience…or the young at heart!

Water soundscape Light rain - Tap fingernails on a tabletop or object to make fast and slow pattering sounds Heavy rain - Collect different sizes of old saucepans or plant pots. Turn them upside down to make rain drums. Use two wooden spoons to create the sound of heavy rain. Hail - Put a variety of buttons, beads or small stones in a clear plastic tube. Seal the ends with cling film. Spin the tube around in your hand at different speeds to make the sound of hailstones.

Explore other watery sounds e.g. blowing through a straw in a glass of water for rainwater rushing own the drainpipe. Put your sounds into an order that you like. Perform them behind a screen to your family and friends and ask them to guess the weather condition or play your sounds as Derek is reading the weather forecast on the television.

Create your own thunder and lightning You need a large piece of card, a torch and a partner. One partner flashes the torch and the second partner creates the sound of thunder with the card. Remember that when the lightning is far away, thunder sounds like a slow low rumble. When the lightning is close the thunder is a quick cracking sound.

Make a wind chime 1. Collect some small metal objects e.g. knitting needles, tea spoons, jar lids, a variety of keys or even sea shells etc. 2. Loop strong cotton or thin string around the objects and tie them onto a thin stick 3. Hang your wind chime outside 4. Discover the wind speed by listening to your chimes 5. Play your chimes by running your fingers over the objects

Make a Bottle Xylophone 1. Collect eight glass bottles (you can use glasses if bottles are not available) 2. Fill each bottle with different amounts of water 3. Paint each bottle a different colour or drop a small amount of water paint in 4. Tap the bottles with a small metal spoon and discover how the sounds change from low to high 5. Alter the water levels until you create a scale of eight notes 6. Play a simple tune that you know or create your own water tunes