O Wast Wind

Solo violin, 8' (2019)

This piece was inspired by a song-like yet mournful poem entitled Kwarna farna? (Where are you going?) by twentieth century Shetland poet Vagaland (T. A. Robinson). The poem was written as Shetland was becoming significantly depopulated in the 1950s. Shetland and the surrounding islands feature a distinct and highly lyrical Scots dialect, as seen in this poem, as well as a strong fiddling tradition. In Shetland and throughout the Northeast of Scotland, the music and language are both heavily Nordic-influenced due to the Viking settlement of Scotland from the 8th to the 15th century. This piece uses fiddle-inspired riffs, filtered through a kaleidoscope of harmonics and more chromatic chords, along with a more dramatic tune that comes to the foreground at the end of each section of the piece.  

Click here for perusal score.