Beacons

Funded by the Arts Council of Wales Cultural Recovery Fund

Beacons is designed for outdoor performances. The music is organised into five ‘movements’. The performance begins with Movements I-IV playing, simultaneously, in different locations, within easy walking distance, but out of earshot from each other. The musicians repeat these movements several times as audience members travel between locations to hear each performance. At a specific cue, or pre-arranged time, the musicians and audience gather together at a central location, where Movement V is performed by the full ensemble.

Movement I: Long Distance Call
Horn and tuba, duration 3’40”

Movement II: Sky and Songbird
a) Sky - flute and soprano saxophone (or clarinet), duration 2’20” b) Songbird - solo flute, duration 1’

Movement III: Escape Route
Solo violin, duration 3’

Movement IV: Codebreakers
Violin, viola, cello, duration 3’40”

Movement V: Beacons
Full ensemble - 5’

Published by Composers Edition

fl, sop sax (or cl), hn, tba, vln, vln, vla, vlc

Cowbridge Music Festival - Beacons

Cowbridge Physic Garden and Old Hall Gardens, Church Street, Cowbridge CF71 7BB 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
https://cowbridgemusicfestival.co.uk/concerts-2025/
Organized by Cowbridge Music Festival 🔗

Free open air event! (Or… if it’s really wet and windy, you’ll find us in Holy Cross Church.)

There are four separate miniature performances to discover as you walk around the Old Hall Gardens and Physic Garden. Follow the sounds and unravel musical clues to long-distance communication - including morse code and birdsong!

Long Distance Call
Horn and tuba

Sky and Songbird
Sky – flute and clarinet
Songbird - solo flute

Escape Route
Solo violin

Codebreakers
Violin, viola, cello

Then join the musicians as they gather together to perform the finale, Beacons.

Performed by members of the Vita String Quartet and the Bute Wind Quintet, Beacons was commissioned in 2021 by the Arts Council of Wales Covid-19 Cultural Recovery Fund. Songbird was a BBC Radio 3 Breakfast commission for their "Postcards from Composers" series during the COVID-19 lockdown.