MS Mus. 1778/3/2

Assorted material, including complete copies of unpublished works written while Birtwistle was a teacher at Cranborne Chase School (1960-1965):

(1). ff. 1-6. 'Crescendo e diminuendo 'Nowell Nowell”, a complete short work for wind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, cor anglais, bassoon). Frequent ‘senza misura’ lines between ensemble passages. Highly chromatic writing throughout with frequent time signature changes. Instrumental writing is simple and idiomatic however, indicating that it was likely written for Cranborne Chase school players. Rehearsal figures and conductors’ notes present. Cover retrospectively signed HB c. 1960.

(2). ff. 7-11. ‘Medieval Carol’, c. 1960, for 2 clarinets, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, and side drum. Short movements all either ‘Andante’ or ‘Allegro moderato’. Largely modal writing; instrumentation varies throughout. Instrumental writing simple and idiomatic. ‘Hail Mary’ written above the title; retrospective annotation by Birtwistle.

(3). ff. 12-21. ‘Instrumental Movement’, a 9-part arrangement of Heinrich Isaac for 3 flutes, 3 oboes, and 3 clarinets, c. 1960-1961. Example of Birtwistle’s practice of writing out Isaac movements for school players, which inspired his The World is Discovered: 6 Instrumental Movements after Heinrich Isaac (see Beard, 2015).

(4). ff. 22-31. ‘Music for a Play’: 5 movements, written out on loose folios of folded manuscript paper. For flutes, clarinets, horn, violins, cello. Simple writing, aimed for student players; musical language is angular and chromatic. The order of the movements is unclear. Retrospectively titled and dated 1963 by Birtwistle.