Stephen Brown: Compositions

A 4 movement work for string orchestra. The Sunrise Serenade was inspired by the French Baroque guitar music of Robert de Visée but is named after a cocktail created by the composer to celebrate the birthday of one of his daughters. Premiere St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church, Sidney, B.C. as part of the Sidney Concert Series, March 30, 2001, St. Cecilia Orchestra, Composer conductor.

Subsequent performance October 27, 2006, Sidney, BC, Sidney Classical Orchestra, composer conductor.

"A delight... Brown has created a work with its feet in both centuries, from its lively and stately (typically French) opening to the nobimente close. The work has a number of tricky changes of tempo and metre (particularly in the second movement) which were generally handled very well, as well as some wonderfully idiomatic string writing. For example, the passage in the passacaglia which is played initially on the double bass and divsi cellos, which is them joined by the violas, shows a genuine feel for the potential of the lower strings." Deryk Barker, Victoria Times Colonist.

Duration: 15 minutes

Swan House SJB 1323
Score $20.00. A single set of parts: $20.00, extra strings: $4.00 each

Sunrise Serenade (recipe)
Ingredients: banana, ice cubes, orange juice, lime, white rum and a mini-umbrella.

Into a blender add banana, ice cubes, oranges juice, a squeeze of lime and white rum (throw caution to the wind). Pulsate until ice cubes are crushed. Pour into a champagne style glass and top off with a mini-umbrella. Toast: "to the joys of music."

PS: the composer's students' advise (from an in-depth research project), before the pulsation, add a dash of vanilla.