THREE CAUTIONARY TALES - Kit Turnbull

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Commissioned by, and dedicated to, Linda Merrick.

Each movement of this piece evokes a story from folklore used to illustrate perceived dangers, hence Cautionary Tales.

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1. Carbrooke Dancers

With its irregular dance rhythms, this movement is inspired by the medieval legend of young girls turned to stone after dancing to the music of a strange fiddler in a churchyard. Priests used the legend to warn against merry-making on Sundays and Christian festivals.



2. The Mermaid's Pool

The modal colouring and spaciousness of this movement evoke the legend of drowned young women who lured passers-by into sharing their fate through hypnotic songs. Mothers used the story to warn children of the dangers of water.



3. Lantern Man

The virtuosic finale with its busy textures depicts the flickering lights that can appear in marshes through combustion of gases. Characters with names like Jack o' Lantern, Kit with the Canstick, and Will o' the Wisp were said to lead people into the marshes, often to their deaths, a story designed to deter nightime wanderers.

Solo B flat Clarinet

Violin I

Violin II

Viola

Cello

 

C. 13 minutes