works for ensembles by Anthony Bailey

Harmony Music
Written while Anthony was studying at the Royal College of Music, this was one of his first works to be often performed. Scored for wind octet, the piece is in two movements. The first is slow, lyrical and contains the most weight. The second is a brief, fleet-footed fugue in constantly changing meter. This clip plays the opening bars of the first movement.

Right click and save to download or click to listen:
Harmony Music (42 seconds, 664KB)

The score and parts of Harmony Music are available to order for rehearsal and performance. Email ant@antbailey.com or visit the contact page

Chamber Symphony
This work was selected by spnm for their composer shortlist in 2004, and will receive its first performance as part of their nationwide season of events. The symphony is scored for an ensemble of 15 players: flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, all doubling on their auxiliary instruments, plus trumpet, trombone, horn and string quintet with harp and two percussionists. The work forms an extended set of variations on themes from Anthony's first opera, The Black Monk.

I Prelude
II Slow
III Dance
IV Ground
V Interlude
VI Finale

The Prelude starts from silence with deep sighs, introducing the motto theme. It gradually builds through several climactic points, including a biting march, to end with a piercing shriek from the winds.

Movement II is a peaceful and lyrical respite, ending with a short fugal section that increases tension and leads directly into Dance. Over an uneven walking bass, this movement features spiky interjections from winds and upper strings based on the motto theme. It is interrupted by a tranquil, soothing passage before taking off again on its raucous way, only to be calmed again by the earlier music returning.
In Ground, an ostinato in constantly shifting meter builds in a constant crescendo. The movement is unravelled by a mighty tam-tam stroke, linking this section to the hymn-like Interlude.

With one final change of mood the Finale, an energetic and fast dance, ends the work in high spirits.

If you are interested in performing the chamber symphony, please contact spnm or Anthony directly. Email ant@antbailey.com or visit the contact page

Mahleriana
This work was intended as an instantly accessible encore.
For a starting point, Anthony imagined discovering a lost fragment of an unknown movement by Mahler in his attic, and set himself the challenge of ‘completing’ it…

First performed by the British Clarinet Ensemble in Washington, the piece is scored for three B flat clarinets, alto clarinet or fourth B flat, two bass clarinets and contrabass or a third bass clarinet. Mahleriana has also been arranged for string orchestra.

Copies of the score and parts of Mahleriana for either string orchestra or clarinet ensemble are available to order. Email ant@antbailey.com or visit the contact page

Fern Hill
This work for orchestra is based on the Dylan Thomas poem of the same name. It is an organic extended song-without-words, with a brief dramatic outburst in the central section. The first clip below is a taken from a section one minute into the piece, and the second clip plays the closing bars.

Right click and save to download or click to listen:
Fern Hill 1 (43 seconds, 688KB)
Fern Hill 2 (34 seconds, 540KB)

Copies of the score are available if you are interested in performing Fern Hill with your ensemble. Email ant@antbailey.com or visit the contact page

Towards the Wind
This work was a commission from the British Clarinet Ensemble and first performed by them at the ICA Clarinet Conference in New Orleans in 2001. Like Mahleriana, it is scored for three B flat clarinets, alto clarinet or fourth B flat, two bass clarinets and contrabass or a third bass clarinet.

The piece is in three sections: a slow, calm contrapuntal section followed by a turbulent interruption, completed by a return to the tranquil music of the opening. This clip highlights the transition from the first section to the second.

Right click and save to download or click to listen:
Towards the Wind (58 seconds, 920KB)

Copies of the score and parts of Towards the Wind are available for your clarinet ensemble. Email ant@antbailey.com or visit the contact page

To the Ravens
The starting point of this orchestral work was a solo viola melody. The whole piece is based on this theme, which appears right at the beginning. The texture is linear with seldom more than one melodic line at once, which allows for maximum expression with as little thickening as possible.
If the opening section is a monologue, then the middle section is the Fugue. This central contrapuntal section leads to a climax after which the opening music returns, and finally dies away on the same note that the work started.

The extract below is taken from the central climax of the piece.

Right click and save to download or click to listen:
To the Ravens (42 seconds, 660KB)

This recording was made at a performance by Kew Sinfonia, conducted by Richard Dickins. If you would like a copy of the score, please email ant@antbailey.com or visit the contact page