Sweet Moment

Description

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano — Right from the lyrical introduction,xa0Sweet Moment creates a warm, pastoral atmosphere with lilting melodies and contemporary harmonies. Written in verse/chorus form, the gentle A-melody (m.13 in violin 2/viola and m.43 in cello) moves mostly stepwise, building gradually. At the pickup in m.33, beat 2, the soaring B-melody in violin 1 takes over, using larger intervals; the ensemble is encouraged here to play with a full, singing tone. The high point of the piece is the second B-section (mm. 52-68). The eighth-note couplings in the violins and viola in m.64 challenge the young ensemble to play together rhythmically while maintaining steady pitch. The ending, from m. 73, finishes freely and softly, a mirror of the introduction. Lovely writing for strings and a flair for colorful contemporary harmony characterize this warm, pastoral selection. Alan Lee Silva’s experience as a writer for film and television translates easily into a concert piece that has great audience appeal.