Work of the Week - Huw Watkins: Concertino

The Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts has been a prominent supporter of Huw Watkins' music over recent years. In 2009 he was featured composer and both before and since there have been numerous performances and commissions.  This year the festival have commissioned with funds provided by the Arts Council of Wales a new work for solo violin and string orchestra, Concertino, which will receive its world premiere on 30th August 2011 as part of the Festival Finale at St Andrews Church, Presteigne.  Tamsin Woley-Cohen is the soloist who will be joined by the Presteigne Festival Orchestra conducted by George Vass.

Writing about the new work, Watkins states:

It begins energetically, with the soloist playing a fast, spiky theme accompanied by pizzicato stabs in the orchestra. The music soon becomes more lyrical before leading into a slower section, where the soloist plays fragmented arpeggiated figures over a serene, sustained accompaniment. There is a return to the opening material, now developed at much greater length, which builds eventually to an intense climax. The final section is a simple, sad song which unfolds over a gently lilting figure in the orchestral strings.

The composer's chamber music will also be featured at the festival with performances of Five Larkin Songs and Suite for Harp taking place during the 6 day festival.

For visitors to the Schott website, here is an exclusive view of the full score.

• Huw Watkins - Profile
• Full Score
• Presteigne Festival