Music archive entry

These Two Ritual Dances began as duets written for two sixth form students of clarinet and viola. The material seemed to hold possibilities for expansion, and the present form for four instruments is perhaps the final result. The first dance is mainly slow but with a more animated middle section. The second is quick and the melody combines with itself 'phased'. The second entry point is progressively further behind until it is back in phase. At some points the second voice is also inverted.

The title was coined after the duets had been written. The composer felt that the pieces had a dance-like lilt, but also that there was a sense of ancient ritual movement and gesture about them. Precisely what the ritual might be is left to the listerners' imagination.