Aylesbury Dances - Rob Wiffin

The suite Aylesbury Dances was commissioned by the Aylesbury Concert Band to mark the occasion of their 25th Anniversary in 2019.

Its three movements depict different aspects of Aylesbury

Pavane:  The Town

Having read something of the town’s history and its architecture I decided I wanted to write something ceremonial with the feel of music from Tudor times.  Aylesbury was given its charter and borough status in 1554 by Mary Tudor so I took that as my starting point but then added some harmony that moves forward in time.  This fits with the town’s motto: Semper Prorsum (Always forward) and also with the Band’s evolution from Aylesbury Town Band to Aylesbury Community Concert Band to Aylesbury Concert Band.  The music can be defined as a pavane, or a cortège.  The sense of procession is slightly disturbed by a ‘Blue Leanie’ moment.  The Blue Leanie is an iconic Aylesbury building, an oblique rhombic prism which stands at an angle of 17% inclination.   I took a quaver out of the time signature (I know the maths don’t work!) to reflect this and added some bluer harmony at that point.

This opening movement gives a sense of the grandeur and heritage of Aylesbury town and a chance for my friends from the brass section to warm up!

Siciliana:  Waterside

To balance the outer two movements, the middle movement of the suite has a slow lilting 6/8 rhythm.  It is in the style of a Siciliana, a dance form originating in the baroque era.  It is a graceful, tender and melancholic dance, cast here in a minor key and featuring the dark voice of the cor anglais.  The Siciliana was often linked with pastoral scenes and Aylesbury itself sits amid some beautiful countryside.  It may, therefore, seem a bit of a stretch to call this movement ‘Waterside’, especially as Aylesbury is so far from the sea, but the town has a theatre of that name and that was the genesis for this particular music.  There is a statue of Ronnie Barker in the grounds of the Waterside theatre as he started his career in repertory theatre in Aylesbury, so I included a fleeting reference to the theme music of the comedy programme ‘Open all Hours’.

Frolic:  Ducks in a Row

It was impossible to write a piece connected with Aylesbury without considering the famous Aylesbury ducks.  Duck rearing was a major industry in the town in the 19th century.  The white Aylesbury Duck is a symbol of the town, appearing on its coat of arms and in the logo of the Aylesbury Concert Band!

This movement is all about trying to get the little darlings in a row so they can sing their ‘Duck Chorus’ together but they keep on scattering, flying off or swimming away as quickly as they can manage.  It’s a bit like watching ducks disperse when my dog jumps into the stream after them.  Eventually we get more of them in a row – even though they protest.  Hidden amongst the ducks is a reference to Erica Miller, saxophonist and chairman of the band, and there’s even a veiled reference to a shark in the hope of getting them out of the water.

‘Ducks in a Row’ is a fun romp bringing this suite of Aylesbury Dances to a suitably celebratory conclusion.