Fantasy Variations on a Theme by Boyce

Description

William Boyce’s setting of Psalm 63 has been a source of consolation for me for many years. This is a set of variations with a twist. The theme is played in its original form in the middle of the piece with the variations moving towards it and then away from it again. The piece opens with swirling chromatic ostinati. Underpinning this music is the psalm theme, which is recast as a harmonically rich chorale. This is followed by a cheeky fugue. Dissonant chords dissolve into a simple statement of the theme, plagued by echoes of the opening ostinati. A beautiful sarabande leads into a playful imitative section, which forms the bridge to an altered version of the opening chorale. The piece ends with a massive peroration with the whole clarinet choir in full cry. This work was written for the British Clarinet Ensemble under Charles Hine and is a showcase for the extraordinary possibilities of this medium.