Flow

4 guitars + bass

It's not written for what many players regard as a guitar orchestra in the accepted sense of the word; it's for four guitars and a contra reading from treble clef. The contra could be replaced by an ordinary guitar, which would make the piece accessible to plain ensembles. And looking at the complexity of the contra part, it would be ideal for less experienced players who, if they are youngsters, might not have the hand-span for the big beasties in the guitar orchestra. A short repeated section lengthens the piece to about 120 bars, lasting just under two and a half minutes. Guitars One and Two go up the neck in turns, and Guitars Three and Four cross over in pitch here and there. Set in 2/2 and moving from G through modulations that were sometimes unsettingly fast (from B to F with no subtlety, for example). the piece returns to G, and then does a similar excursion again, before closing in G. The structure in many of the bars is identical - notes that flip octaves, with one or two pairs of quavers per bar, sometimes all parts having one pair on beat 2, sometimes, different parts having pairs on different beats. I found the piece a little 'samey' but if we put it in the correct context - an easy piece that players with limited experience can manage - then it can be seen as a nicely substantial work with simple rhythms that will make this piece easy to practise at home and fit together in limited rehearsal time. What technical demands does this piece call up? Guitar One goes up into XII postiton, but it's based around familiar arpeggio shapes rather than scale runs. Guitar Two goes up to VII position (as does Guitar Three for one tiny section). Guitar Four stays down low but there are parts where it has to play a 3:3:2 bass line against square rhythm from all the other parts. Players Grade four to five should find this a sensible challenge. Guitar Five or the contra part is slower and a grade 2 player would enjoy it. Fingering and dynamics are sparse but well chosen, and the parts have no page turns. Derek Hasted