Joe Stollery

This four-movement programme symphony for string orchestra was inspired by the mountain south of Ballater, which has also captured the imagination of poets like Lord Byron. This piece is based on my own physical interpretation of the mountain, focused on an imaginary walk up to the top, where each of the four movements illustrates a different stage on that hike. The four movements are as follows:

I. Prelude: At the foot

A slow, broad melody rises slowly to a massive climax, describing in metaphorical terms the challenge facing any traveller as they look up at the mountain from its base. A secondary, song-like melody provides a moment of reflection.

II. Episode: Forest track

Upon starting the trek up, the traveller enters a forest. This scherzo movement attempts to emulate the natural sounds one can hear in this environment through various little motifs. Most notable is a sequence of rising pizzicato 5ths. Towards the end, the sounds disperse and a new chord foreshadows the next movement.

III. Interlude: Mist on the heath

Further up, the forest clears to reveal open moor, where mist obscures the way and gives a haunting aspect to the environment. For me, this was the most systematically composed movement in terms of harmony. It starts with a solo cello playing a haunting, chromatic melody against a very quiet, shivering backdrop, and moves slowly through a series of dissonant chords. The mist clears briefly, revealing the summit and introducing the neo-tonal chords that will begin the final movement, before returning once more with its chromatic chords in an agitated push as the traveller marches determinedly through to the top. The piece reaches a massive climax, and moves straight into the final movement.

IV. Postlude: The summit

Finally, at the top and the climax of the whole piece, the mist clears completely, and the traveller gets a panoramic view which takes in the heath and forest and everything surrounding it. The mood is entirely relaxed now, and in connection with this, this movement is completely through-composed, exploring the summit with slowly developing neo-tonal harmonies and reminiscing on past motifs, including the lilting melody in the first movement and the rising forest arpeggio. Towards the end, the opening melody of the piece returns, but now descending slowly, and the piece ends with a final joyfully stratospheric climax.