Urbs in Rure (2024)
Concert Band
This piece for concert band is a single-movement series of connected pictures inspired by the town of Inverurie and its local landscape and history. The title refers to the town’s crest motto and translates as ‘The Town in the Countryside’.
The piece begins with impressions of the two rivers associated with the town (the Ury and the Don), with two melodic lines of repeated ripples and flows against a broad soundscape. This is followed by a spritely rhythmic section featuring a brisk strathspey melody with an accompaniment that builds in activity. Impressions of animal calls and the general bustle represent this section as Thainstone Mart. Afterwards comes a slower, pastoral melody to evoke the nearby countryside, including woodlands such as Newseat. This is followed by a short chromatic interlude to depict the mysterious Bass, as well as Pictish stone carvings such as those on the Brandsbutt Stone, before the music proceeds to a larger section representing the Battle of Harlaw. It begins with a sharp steady drumbeat and piercing pipes (in two different keys), before picking up speed into a depiction of frantic combat, led by the brass. Following on from this, the music calms down once more, with a ghostly rendition of the pipe tune ‘Battle’s o’er’ in fragments. Afterwards comes a desolate march with bell chimes and a slow funerary beat. This depicts the ruins of Kinkell Church, which is connected to Harlaw by holding graves commemorating warriors who fell that day. The music returns to the impressions of the two rivers as at the start, the climax here seeing a pickup into the final section – a celebratory romp led by fast reel melody in the horns, to represent Inverurie in its present time. There is a grand chorale at the climax, and after a final flourish, the coda sees a final amalgamation of several previous motifs to bring the music to a majestic finish.
PERFORMANCES:
Première: 8 June 2024 - Garioch Sports Centre, Inverurie - Inverurie Concert Band (dir. Hamish Wood)