Staff Pick
“An imaginative and virtuoso piece.”
This is an imaginative piece, commissioned by Sarah Miller, delves deep into Cornish folklore. The extraordinary song of the Pednpaley takes centre stage here, swirling, and diving with plenty of notes and changes of time signature to show off its unpredictable character. There are some lovely moments of repose and low register colours on show as the narrative develops, before a dramatic and virtuoso cadenza heralds the return of the song and the triumph of good over evil. This is a real workout for the soloist especially if you add in the role of narrator and is an excellent choice for anyone who is looking for something just that little bit different to add to a recital.
From the Publisher
First performance: Sarah Miller (piccolo) and Pieter-Jan Verhoyen (piano), 2 June 2024, Ryelandt Zaal, Brugge, Belgium.
Performance Note
Commissioned by Sarah Miller in 2023, Taken Voice was intended to be a piece that transports its audience into the world of Cornish folklore and myth, while allowing the performers to be stretched creatively and technically. Whilst the characters are creatures from Cornish folklore, the story is by the composer, who is indebted to Enys Tregarthen, author of "The Piskey-Purse, Legends and Tales of North Cornwall", a wonderful collection of stories from Cornish folklore and from which the characters within the piece are taken. Please see the end of this performance note for some of the verse found within the tale "The Magic Pail" which inspired the story for this work.
This piece is intended to be accessible to the performer and the audience; therefore the performance can take a couple of different forms:
- The performer plays the piece as written with the narration (narration performed by the piccoloist, or by a separate narrator).
- The performer tells the story at the start of the piece, and then plays the piece without the narration.
Tempi should be observed as closely as possible to the indications on the score!
Text can be translated at the performer's discretion.
The Characters (all performed by the piccoloist or narrator):
Cornish Piskie - A mischievous fairy.
Pednpaley - A blue tit bird or anything soft (The "d" is silent within "Pednpaley").
Mudgeskerry - Anything grotesque in human form, a doll.
The Story
The evil Mudgeskerry wants the Pednpaley's voice for itself so it dupes the Piskie into stealing the voice without informing the Piskie that the Pednpaley will die if its voice is taken. When the Piskie steals the voice it realises with horror that the bird has died and after mourning the bird, vows to taunt the Mudgeskerry with the voice to ensure that the Pednpaley's memory stays alive.
Honorable Mention: NFA Newly Published Music Awards 2024
Performance duration (approx): 9'00
Item Details
Instrumentation
- Part 1: Piccolo
- Part 2: Piano
Publisher: United Music Publishers
Our Stock Code: 1691665
Media Type: Paperback (24 pages [score])
