Programme Note
John Metcalf wrote:
A few years ago I was intrigued by the remit to composers participating in ‘Composition Wales’ to compose a short work either as an overture or an encore to a concert by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Although I didn’t at that time go any further with the idea, I didn’t get as far as identifying ‘Calm’ (2005), the second of Three Miniatures for flute and harp, as a possible candidate for that brief. During the course of an online work session with David Roche I mentioned the idea. He immediately suggested that we both prepare a version and compare notes, as it were. In the event his progress was far swifter than mine and we ended up working on his version together.
David John Roche wrote:
I wanted to create an orchestral arrangement of John Metcalf’s Calm as a thank you for the enormous help, guidance, and generosity he has shown me. I was granted permission to do so and, throughout the process of producing this arrangement, I was able to work closely with him. This gave me the chance to tailor my arrangement in a way that respected and responded to his compositional and aesthetic priorities, it also afforded me the opportunity to work through a piece of music with one of Wales’ most important composers 一 an incredible experience. It has been a huge honour to study with John Metcalf, work on Calm, and I am enormously thankful for his mentorship and support.
This arrangement of Calm is dedicated to John Metcalf, for his enormous support and generosity. The work was completed at the Tanglewood Music Centre.