Instrumentation
solo viola
Availability
Score 0571568688 (fp) on sale and available for download
Programme Notes
Darkness Draws In was written as the test piece for the 2006 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition. It is a set of variations on the Manx song 'Arrane Oie Vie' ('Goodnight Song'), often sung on the Isle on Man at close of day. The song appears only at the end: it is preceded by four variations in different tempi, followed by a return to the opening variation which acts as a link to the twice-repeated statement of the song. The piece is dedicated to Sarah-Jane Bradley.
© David Matthews