Iridescence Ensemble

Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)

Prelude, Allegro and Pastorale (Clarke)

i Prelude, ii Allegro, iii Pastorale

Composed in 1941 while Clarke was in the US, she wrote this of the piece: "The whole thing is very unpretentious: a short unassuming little prelude, an Allegro which I originally thought of calling a Toccata - as it gives both the players plenty of chance to show what they can do... The subject is more or less 'mirror-writing' and in the coda the instruments are, in addition, continually crossing one another. There is a long fugato section in the middle of the movement, after a second subject in pizzicato chords on the viola. The whole of the second movement should sound very spirited, and is, I think, quite effectively written for both parts. The third movement Pastorale is rather melancholy and nostalgic, ending in a very subdued way."

Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988)

Fantasy on an American Hymn Tune, Op.70 (Leighton)

This work was composed during the summer of 1974 and commissioned by Gervase de Peyer, William Pleeth and Peter Wallfisch with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain. The famous and emotive hymn At the River was composed (both words and music) in 1865 by the Rev. Robert Lowry and it plays an important part in Symphony No. 2 Op. 69. It has attracted the attention of a number of composers and is one of the most perfect examples of the union of words and music. The tune revolves for the most part round the mediant, and it is only at the very end on the word “God” that it descends to the tonic. Thus this fantasy begins and ends with the tonic chord (here the chord of C major) and at various other points the music resolves on to the same chord.

Frank Bridge (1879-1941)

Phantasie Trio in C minor ‘Piano Trio No 1’ (Bridge)

i Allegro moderato ma con fuoco, ii Andante con molta espressione, iii Allegro scherzoso, iv Andante, v Allegro moderato, vi Con anima

The significance of Bridge’s continued Cobbett Competition success (his Quartet had won second prize in the 1905 competition) in terms of his stylistic development and the growth of his reputation, should not be underestimated. The 1907 Phantasie for piano trio (his Piano Trio No 1) established him as one of the leading chamber-music composers of the younger generation.

Thomas Adès (1971-)

Court Studies from ‘The Tempest’ (Adès)

From the composer: For this series of Court Studies I have extracted six solo numbers for members of the Court of Naples from my and Meredith Oakes’s opera The Tempest and transcribed them freely for four instruments (violin, clarinet, cello and piano). The first three form a sequence in the opera: Antonio: ‘Sir, I saw him in the water/Striking bravely for the land’; Sebastian: ‘Milan, your vanity, your self-promotion/Have brought us to this godforsaken shore’; and the King of Naples: ‘Oh Prince of Naples and Milan/What fish has made its meal on you?’. Ariel’s ventriloquistic interjections are omitted here, so the argument between Antonio and Sebastian is purely human and musical in origin. The next two numbers are presented out of sequence: Antonio: ‘You’ll forgive at no cost/You’ve won I’ve lost’ is this last of the court arias, from near the end of the opera; whereas Gonzalo: ‘Sir, be cheerful/This is remarkable/Please don’t weep/Your Majesty’ is the first, sung when they’ve only just come onto the shore. The final number – The King of Naples: ‘The sea mocks/Our search on land/He’s lost/Whom we strain to find/Vain/He’s gone’) – was composed, coincidentally, in a room on the front at Aldeburgh.

Performers

Iridescence Ensemble (Piano Quartet)

• Lucia Porcedda - Clarinet
• Sofía Gómez Alberto - Violin/Viola
• Anna Crawford - Cello
• İlayda Deniz Oğuz - Piano/Composer

Formed by four vibrant performers with a passion for chamber music, Iridescence Ensemble takes its audience through an exploration of 20th and 21st century chamber music. Like an iridescent surface that changes colour depending on the angle from which you perceive it, this versatile ensemble presents themselves in many different ways. With bold programme choices involving varied combinations of instruments, this versatile ensemble hopes to spark the curiosity of the audience through immersive concert experiences.

Following their launch concert at the Burgh House in February 2025, the ensemble has also performed at the Elgar Room.

Passionate about the creation of new music, Iridescence Ensemble has collaborated with emerging composers Anibal Vidal and Ilayda Oguz, and is planning a call for scores for later this year.

The Iridescence Ensemble is grateful to the Marchus Trust for their support.

Note that Lucia Porcedda is standing in for Méline Le Calvez on clarinet.