El Maestrat premiere
Saturday the 22nd of November 2014 will see the premiere of my three movement piece El Maestrat. Commissioned by the Sax2014 Festival http://saxfestival.nl and written for a huge saxophone orchestra of amateur performers from all levels. Location: Muziekgebouw aan het IJ in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The three movements all speak of ‘El Maestrat’ (Català)(El Maestrazgo in Spanish), one of my favorite regions in Spain; northwest of Valencia. I spent a few summers with my family there in a lovely town called Vilafamès. The 2nd movement describes this small town, situated on a steep hill with panoramic views around, old city walls still intact. The first movement pictures the town of Ares, an eagle’s nest high on a mountain top with a mysterious beauty and the atmosphere of times long past. The 3rd movement describes the artificial lake of Arenos, an incredibly beautiful and austere lake in the upper course of the Manzaneres river, an abundance of water amidst arid grounds. The bad news is that I will be conducting everything…not my strongest point I am afraid.