Gwyneth Walker

Brevities by the Bay

for Woodwind Quintet (2015)

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Premiered by I Solisti d'Oneco (Dale Jensen, flute; Michelle Nicolette, oboe; Don Stewart, clarinet; Trevor Cramer, bassoon; Gary Reinstrom, horn), April 9, 2015, Sarasota, Florida

This music was composed during a Winter sojourn in Sarasota, Florida. The composer's desk overlooks Sarasota Bay. Thus, the waterfront imagery and lifestyle inspire the Brevities.

1. It is often windy by the water. Pedestrians scurry by, propelled by the breeze. Walking against the wind requires energy. Gusts of wind come and go.

2. Musical intervals unfold in stepwise progression to and from concert Bb. Breaks in the clouds yield "Intervals of Sunshine."

3. The ocean speaks with a voice of the heart. Thus, the "Call of the Sea" presents a mournful song from the oboe.

4. Florida is not truly Caribbean. But life in the Florida Keys has a tropical flavor. "Island Rhythms" fill the imagination.

Notes by the composer