Prelude for a Celtic - Norse Saga

Music -- Mike Penney, Ian Milnes; Orchestration -- Ian Milnes

C.D. Recording April 2011 © Copyright (3 min. 54 sec.).

Notes on this recording written by Ian Milnes, October 2011 © Copyright.

In Summer, 1995, Angela Johnson gave Mike Penney a long poem which she had written involving

events between Celts and Vikings in The Isle of Man, 1000 years ago, inspired by her visit to a museum in

Douglas. Mike set it to music for voice and guitar, and I added a viola part. From this small beginning, a

complete folk opera ("Now is the Time") developed between 1995 and 2001, with Mike taking over the

writing of the song lyrics from Angela, and then Pam Moyle continuing this work for about the last half of

it and also wrote the libretto. I wrote down all Mike's music and added extra instrumental parts. Two

concert performances were given in 2007 and 2008 which were well received. Mike and I then started work

on printing it using the Sibelius music printing programme, and in April 2010 Stephen Watson (a

professional composer) recommended that I should orchestrate the Overture. The final result is on this

C.D., using his sound system (the London Symphony Orchestra, Abbey Road Library), specially produced

by him for us in April 2011, for which we are most grateful.

Mike and I composed the original Overture in 1998/99 for guitar and viola, and I added a violin

part later in 1999. In 2010/11, I orchestrated it for a full symphony orchestra, and we re-named it P relude

for a Celtic -- Norse Saga for Full Orchestra. It consists of quotations from several of the songs in the

folk opera. Two themes are used in several of the songs and we refer to these as the first and second motto

themes. There is a substantial opening section featuring celesta and harp for the Spirits if Light, using the

first motto theme (first heard in the violas from the 5th bar). The atmosphere gradually darkens, culminating

in 4 bars from the "Power of Darkness" at the first climax (1 min. 16 secs.), followed by quotations from

the "Rebel Viking Song" (1 min. 24 secs.), "Across the Long Dark Years" (1 min. 49 secs.), the

"Dream" (2 min. 08 secs.), "Dragon in the Storm" (2 min. 26 secs.), "Love Song" (2 min. 47 secs.), 2 bars

from "Pool of Love" superimposed over a return of the rhythm of the "Power of Darkness" in the bass (3

min. 02 secs.), followed by a powerful return of the first motto theme (3 min. 07 secs.), combined with

"Across the Long Dark Years", culminating in the only appearance of the second motto theme (3 min. 23

secs.), and the Prelude ends with a return of the Spirits of Light in the celesta and harp, fading away.

Ian Milnes © Copyright October 2011

Category:

Music

Tags:

• celtic
• norse
• Norsemen
• Norse Mythology
• Old Norse
• Ireland
• Folk
• music

[janmodelskiorchestra]

Haunting melody with powerful artwork. First class!!

[pammoyle]

I love this video: the music and artwork are wonderful. Well done all concerned.