Violin and orchestra

The Violin Concerto was commissioned by the 2002 Music in the Mountains Festival for its concertmaster Robin Mayforth and the Festival Orchestra under the direction of Paul Perry. It is in two movements, "Song" and "Dance".

The first movement opens and closes with a simple setting of the traditional American folksong Down to the River to Pray; portions of it also make prominent reappearances.

As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good old way And who shall wear the starry crown Good Lord, show me the way.

O sisters, letÕs go down LetÕs go down. Come on down O, sisters, letÕs go down, Down in the river to pray.

The sense of searching reflected in its words inspired the character of the opening movement, which involves the soloist and orchestra in a journey through a landscape of darkness and light.

With the exception of one extended lyrical section, the second movement is a straight-ahead dance, with echoes of samba (including a little riff borrowed from "Brazil") and tango, and a main theme based around a metrically shifting rhythm.