GHOST TRAIN

Large orchestra

Duration: 12 mins

Programme note from CD:

A metaphorical train approaches from afar, and eventually engulfs the listener. As it disappears into the distance we see the train from the other end. You might imagine, as it fades away, that someone else in that far distance is now awaiting the arrival of this never-ending ghost train.

Ghost Train is a set of six continuous variations. The work starts with a simple theme for the clarinets, which serves as a short introduction. The music carries straight on into variation 1, which provides the harmonic basis for variations 3, 5 and 6.

Variation 2 is a melodic inversion of variation 5. Variations 4 and 5 are harmonic and melodic retrogrades of variations 2 and 3. The final variation is a retrograde of variation 1.

The opening clarinet theme also returns twice in much developed form prior to variations 3 and 5. It is also heard, as one might expect, at the very end, and as this little theme itself is a palindrome, the integrity of the retrograde is maintained to the very end.

The consequence of all this is that there are four themes, anyone of which could be considered the ‘main’ theme.

3 flutes (3 doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon. 
4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba.
Timpani, 3 percussion players, piano/celesta, harp
strings