I composed Weaving Olden Dances in 2007 as a finale piece for a small concert tour I did in Latvia with my own ensemble. Originally scored for clarinet, string quartet, piano 4-hands and bodhrán, I later orchestrated the piece as part of a multi-movement Concerto for Chamber Orchestra. At the request of Charlotte Chamber Music I tweaked the instrumentation of the chamber version once more, and they will premiere this new version on February 1st.
From CCM’s website:
The clarinet takes center stage as the Blue Ridge Chamber Players and clarinetist John Sadak perform 20th century works including Prokofieff’s beloved Overture on Hebrew Themes and Alan Shulman’s Rendezvous, written for the King of Swing, Benny Goodman. The program concludes with American composer Charles Griffin’s homage to Irish and Appalachian folk music, Weaving Olden Dances, in a new arrangement commissioned by Charlotte Chamber Music.
Prokofieff: Overture on Hebrew Themes
Alan Shulman: Rendezvous
Gerald Finzi: Five Bagatelles
Charles Griffin: Weaving Olden DancesMusicians – Blue Ridge Chamber Players: John Sadak, clarinet; Peter deVries and Tatiana Karpova, violins; Martha Geissler, viola; Nick Lampo, cello; Emily Urbanek, piano
First Presbyterian Church, 200 West Trade Street, Charlotte, North Carolina. 12:10 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Free. 704/335-0009