Music archive entry

In essence this piece for String and Wind Quartet can be viewed as a study of the use of motifs or 'threads' as a structural as well as thematic device. The threads are simple figures that repeatedly recur in transposition and variation throughout the piece. I have defined these figures, such as the opening triplet on the violin, as threads rather than themes or melodies as they are all too brief and often have harmonic as well as melodic functions.

No thread lasts more than a few notes, and as such there is a conscious process of fragmentation within each phrase where melodies would have carried a more flowing quality. Varied pauses between phrases and changes of emphasis add suspense, meaning that at times the entry of the next fragment is hard to anticipate. Bearing in mind that this piece was intended for amateur performers, I have divided the material evenly between the parts, giving no overlong phrases or difficult changes of register. There are threads that have fragmented across parts however, and these require some attention to the co-ordination of the players.