Howard Skempton

Moving On

Score

Forces or Category: String quartet

Moving On is a single movement work for string quartet. Skempton masterfully combines classical string quartet textures with luxuriant harmonies and a fluid approach to tonality, resulting in an appealing modern addition to the genre.

Moving On

Score

Howard Skempton

Description

Programme Notes:

Moving On proceeds without a break for a little over eight minutes. The title seems valedictory, yet is also expressive of momentum. Both metre and tempo are fixed at the outset; yet it could be argued that this very regularity allows for flexibility. The main play, though, is between modal melody and chromatic harmony, each striving to make sense of the other. All we can do in music is find our bearings between the familiar and the unfamiliar.
Howard Skempton, 15 June 2016

Moving On

Score

Howard Skempton

Composer Information