David Jennings

Miniature Suite op. 18

1. Prelude: Allegro con brio
2. Air: Largo tranquillo
3. Invention: Allegro moderato
4. Romance: Adagio ma con moto
5. Fugue: Allegro con brio
This suite was written in 2010. Squeezing five brief movements into an eight minute span, the work is an affectionate (if slightly irreverent!) homage to Bach, recreating aspects of Baroque style in an updated form. The 'Prelude' opens with a three-note flourish reminiscent of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor and proceeds to lay out a 'table of contents' that musically prefigures material that will appear in subsequent movements. The second movement, 'Air', was inspired by watching a remarkably lazy cat going in and out of slumber! The music is suitably expansive in manner. The third movement, 'Invention', takes a Bach-like C major idea but twists it through some distinctly un-Bachian modulations before abruptly cutting off. The initial idea is then heard again, but at double speed. The lyrical fourth movement, 'Romance', was inspired by a walk along the Lancaster Canal. The final movement, 'Fugue', provides a spirited close to the suite. As the opening and closing ideas relate back to the first movement, there is a feeling that the work has come full circle.
Phillip Fawcett gave the first performance at a Lakeland Composers Concert in St. Peter's Church, Scorton, on 6th November 2010 and the piece is dedicated to his two sons, Kyle and David.
Duration about 8 minutes - 16 pages - Difficulty: Advanced