Percussion Concerto (2024)
Commissioned by the BBC National Orchestral of Wales
Premiered 18th April 2024 conducted by Sofia Jeannin, with soloist Dame Evelyn Glennie
“a brilliant command of the orchestra […] shows why Howard has become one of the most sought-after British composers of the younger generation.”
c. 25”00 (3333 (fl3 picc. ob3 cor. cl3 db bcl. bs3 ctra) 4331 2p+tp, hp, strings + solo percussion)
MIDI Available on request
Programme Notes
c. 25 minutes, in five movements
The inspiration behind this percussion concerto is the story of America’s most prolific inventor, Thomas Alva Edison. A self-taught man, born in 1847, having had only three months of formal schooling, he went to work selling newspapers on a long-distance train at the age at 12 and formed an intense fascination with the Telegraph system, which had changed the world by sending messages at the speed of light through wires. He taught himself morse code and practised it endlessly, finally getting a job as a Telegrapher at age 15.
He worked as a Telegrapher for seven years before heading to New York to become an inventor. At the age of 29 he had made enough money to realise his dream, building a laboratory called ‘Menlo Park’ where he and a team of others could invent full time. This he did, producing some of the key inventions that still today are considered essential parts of our lives. In this Concerto, the soloist embodies the American inventor through five movements, each representing key moments of his life and career.
Movement I ‘Dot and Dash’
The first movement “Dot and Dash” (as he nick-named his two children) is centred around morse-code. Focussed on accents heard in the marimba, these rhythmic patterns create the foundation for all of the rhythmic material throughout the concerto. The idea to design a full-time laboratory came to him after a ‘long thinking session’. As a 29-year-old, he was ambitious and full of ideas. He was obsessed with the idea of changing the world by coming up with new ways to achieve things – there is a naivety and a youthful excitement that underpins this first movement.
Movement II ‘Menlo Park’
This was Edison’s dream laboratory in which he conducted all manner of experiments with different materials. This movement represents Edison in full mode of complete exploration, and we can hear the excitement, and child-like creativity that comes with exploring the many sounds of the snare drum.
Movement III ‘Eureka’
This movement is about the creation of his first notable invention; the Phonograph. He sets his mind to this task, and discovered a way to use tinfoil inside the machine, to capture sound for the first time. The movement explores a variety of metal instruments only, and the second half of the movement has the soloist in ‘deep focus’, exploring the different materials through an extended improvisation.
Movement IV ‘Unfinished Business’
Having achieved huge success, his career became overwhelming for Edison. It 'swept' him away from inventing, and took him across the country, demonstrating his new Phonograph. Frustration builds as he realises he still has huge ambitions, and a desire to create. These pressures alongside a busy schedule (a result of his new found fame) has him in an unusual emotional state. We can hear this in the larger instruments chosen for this movement, with the range of Tom-Toms, bass drum, and an extended Tam-Tam improvisation which concludes the movement.
Movement V ‘Light Bulb Moment’
The invention of the lightbulb, the key to his legacy, which indeed stayed that way for his entire life. This was the biggest puzzle to solve of the century, and Edison felt it had his name written all over it. Covering the full palette of sounds used throughout the concerto, we can hear the culmination of all his previous life experiences come together in this movement. There is maturity here, and a deep desire to accomplish this very huge challenge that would change the course of history.
Programme Notes © Michael Howard