Severn Bridge
Variations (1966): a joint effort
Typically, I could
never have much enthusiasm for a single
work by multiple composers. For one
thing I would be concerned that the
equilibrium of the parts would invariably
be imbalanced thus jeopardising the
integrity of the complete piece. Yet
recently I listened to the Severn
Bridge Variations and was pleasantly
surprised. Indeed I would go as far
as saying that this is a minor masterpiece.
It manages to present a unified work
that enhances each of the participants’
repertoire without any crass displays
of one-upmanship.
Picture M Rogers
Ó
The history of the
piece is straightforward. In 1966
the work was commissioned by the West
of England and the Wales regions of
the BBC as a celebration of the opening
of the new (then) Severn Bridge –
connecting England with the Principality
of Wales. Furthermore it was to have
coincided with the first birthday
of the BBC Training Orchestra. This
was a short-lived enterprise showcasing
an assembly of young post-graduate
players typically aged between 18
and 24 years.
In order to prevent
arguments, it was deemed appropriate
to approach six composers who were
at the peak of their careers. More
importantly, three of them were English
and three from Wales. The six who
accepted the commission were Malcolm
Arnold, Alun Hoddinott, Nicolas Maw,
Daniel Jones, Grace Williams and Michael
Tippett. They were given the task
of each writing a variation on the
fine old Welsh hymn tune ‘Braint’.
This tune was published in the popular
hymn book ‘Songs of Praise’ as No.
505. It is interesting to note that
this is not a simple tune - in fact
it has an asymmetrical melody with
"a rising fifth upbeat and five
ensuing phrases – of which the second
and the fifth are identical."
A real challenge.
Malcolm Arnold opens
the work with a short presentation
of the tune in unison. It is repeated
before the composer decides to add
some of his typically animated music,
at times bordering on ‘swing’. Yet
he decided that this was not the time
and place for ‘naughty rhythms’ and
reverts to a more subdued and introverted
canon. The criticism of this opening
movement appears to be that it is
simply too short: it is over before
it has begun.
The second variation
is an epitome of Alun Hoddinott’s
mid-1960s style. In many ways it is
‘nocturnal’ music – however there
are flashes of sunlight in this intricate
score. Occasionally water seems to
be hinted at. Brass and percussion
open the proceedings with a "chiming
interplay of densely iridescent tone-clusters"
between different sections of the
orchestra. The composer leads the
music to a considerable forte.
Nicolas Maw’s offering
opens darkly, yet it suddenly explodes
into a scherzo. Interestingly this
section of the work appears to be
an extension of the previous one rather
than a contrast to it. Fragments of
the hymn tune are thrown around by
the orchestra. Bayan Northcott refers
to "spectral scutterings and
turbid surges of texture, occasionally
yielding to moments of moonstruck
calm." The last third is full
of excitement and marks this out as
perhaps the best of the entire work.
The variation by
Daniel Jones is fundamentally different
from the three preceding. It is great
music – in fact, absolutely superb.
The only snag is that it appears that
Jones has inserted a part of the development
from an imaginary Symphony in here:
somehow it seems like a two minute
extract from something much more massive.
Yet it is impressive: the melody is
well to the fore, there is a romantic
string tune that contrasts with much
that has gone before. However it is
all over too soon: the listener is
left aching for more of this music.
Grace Williams’ variation
is much longer. She has a reasonable
amount of time to marshal and develop
her thoughts. This is rhapsodic music,
yet it manages to be the most sympathetic
to the ‘given’ hymn tune. Really,
this is a chorale prelude that also
manages to include a march-like episode
for good measure. Much of her score
is meditative and reflective: often
it is truly beautiful. Yet the more
assertive parts of this variation
nod towards her liking for ‘brass
band on the promenade’ sonorities
and sweeping string tunes recalling
her Sea Sketches.
The final variation
was by Michael Tippett. Northcott
notes that maybe this short five minute
piece is significant in the history
of the composer’s musical development.
It uses techniques first explored
in King Priam and which were
later to come to the fore in the Triple
Concerto. It is a technique called
‘heterophonic doubling.’ Quite simply
this is a method where two or more
musical voices elaborate the same
melody simultaneously. It can be as
a result of improvisations or in this
case more rigorously controlled. Tippett
wrote fanfares and passages employing
a myriad of tuned percussion to create
a finale with unusual but ultimately
satisfying sonorities
The Severn Bridge
Variations were first performed
by the BBC Training Orchestra at the
Brangwyn Hall in Swansea on 11 January
1967. It was conducted by Sir Adrian
Boult. The work appears to have been
forgotten until it was revived at
the 1976 Proms. Critically it was
barely noticed in the musical press;
however the ‘special correspondent’
of The Times was complimentary.
He wrote that "… as a total composition
it surpassed expectation by producing
a contrast rather than a conflict
of styles. However, whilst noting
that Michael Tippett’s contribution
seemed to draw the threads of the
other composers’ styles together more
successfully than could have been
hoped for …" he felt that a work
"designed to celebrate a great
occasion should surely have achieved
a more declamatory climax."
The work was released
on NME Theme
and Variations. The BBC Symphony
Orchestra is conducted by Jac Van
Steen. Reviews by Simon Jenner and
Peter Grahame Woolf
John France
