MacMillan, James - Intercession (3 Oboes or 3 Saxophones)

Composer's Notes

"The piece begins with a slowly falling scale of seven notes, thrown from one player to another, repeated nine times and embellished with ornamental flurries which outline a gradually evolving harmonic pattern. The repetitive nature of the music is like a peal of bells or some other kind of evocation. Eventually the music breaks out of this cyclic inevitability and heads into a faster dance-like material which in turn develops its own ritualistic recurrences."


The score and parts are intended for oboes at sounding pitch or for soprano saxophones sounding a tone lower than notated.





Intercession filmed by Ben Crocker on Vimeo. Oboists: Nicholas Daniel, James Turnbull and Jennifer Brittlebank.