Suite for Euphonium and Piano

"This is my “take” on a more traditional dance movement suite, but with a slightly more contemporary and even psychological twist.

The movements are all in dance meters and rhythms, but the piece itself is very much interconnected in thematic material and almost cinematic in quality. In that sense, the movements make sense individually but will often have a slightly unfinished quality to them unless they also proceed to the next one. You will notice that the first and third movements begin with the same thematic material, but wind up in different places through their development. I have also chosen to end the piece with the slowest and most introspective of the movements.

To my own mind, the Suite is rather moody and even “quirky” at times without, hopefully, going over the top in that respect. For me it is a bit of the “Bohemian Barbara”, coming out of the bars and cafes of my youth into the misty, late-night streets of cosmopolitan Montreal. As the subtitle “Dancing with Myself” suggests, I am also reflecting on the fact that all of our relationships/dances with others are all also in many ways, simply relationships with ourselves (or aspects of ourselves), mirrored back to us in our own perception.

The dedication “to JLL and other friends” is in gratitude to certain people with whom I have had relationships mostly in correspondence, yet who have provided me with insights into myself - even sometimes ones that were both revealing and occasionally somewhat uncomfortable for me.

As always, the dance goes on."
Barbara York, 2008