Wind Symphony
Wind symphony works by Katy Abbott, for concert band and wind ensemble: a tertiary-level feature and a fast, bright concert piece, both suited to university, college and strong community bands. Scores and parts are linked with each piece.
Wind Symphony and Concert Band
Fast Ride In A Suave Machine
(2006/arr.2021, Nicholas Enrico Williams)
Wind Symphony
Duration: 7 minutes
Fast Ride in a Suave Machine is a play on a well-known tune. Revisiting the rhymes we knew as children can be a curious revelation, once we notice the true and often gruesome nature of the words. Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie has its origins in the era of the Black Plague, and in Rock-a-bye-Baby the baby falls ‘cradle and all’. Singing Three Blind Mice to my own children years ago, the grisly side of the text struck me. The music is fast and playful in spirit, while nodding to the darkness underneath. Fast Ride in a Suave Machine is a play on a well-known tune. Revisiting the rhymes we knew as children can be a curious revelation, once we notice the true and often gruesome nature of the words. Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie has its origins in the era of the Black Plague, and in Rock-a-bye-Baby the baby falls ‘cradle and all’. Singing Three Blind Mice to my own children years ago, the grisly side of the text struck me. The music is fast and playful in spirit, while nodding to the darkness underneath. Dedicated to my Mum, Val, with love. With deep thanks to Nicholas Enrico Williams for this 2021 arrangement for Wind Symphony of Fast Ride In A Suave Machine. This arrangement was premiered in April 9, 2022 at the Melbourne Recital Centre by the University of Melbourne Wind Symphony.Fast Ride in a Suave Machine is a play on a well-known tune. Revisiting the rhymes we knew as children can be a curious revelation, once we notice the true and often gruesome nature of the words. Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie has its origins in the era of the Black Plague, and in Rock-a-bye-Baby the baby falls ‘cradle and all’. Singing Three Blind Mice to my own children years ago, the grisly side of the text struck me. The music is fast and playful in spirit, while nodding to the darkness underneathFast Ride in a Suave Machine is a play on a well-known tune. Revisiting the rhymes we knew as children can be a curious revelation once we notice the true and often gruesome nature of the words. Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie has its origins in the era of the Black Plague, and in Rock-a-bye-Baby the baby falls ‘cradle and all’.
Singing Three Blind Mice to my own children years ago, the grisly side of the text struck me. The music is fast and playful in spirit, while nodding to the darkness underneath.
Deep thanks to Nicholas Enrico Williams for this 2021 arrangement for Wind Symphony of Fast Ride In A Suave Machine. This arrangement was premiered in April 9, 2022 at the Melbourne Recital Centre by the University of Melbourne Wind Symphony.
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Jumeirah Jane
(2008)
Wind Symphony
Duration: 3 minutes
The term ‘Jumeirah Jane’ is a colloquial Dubai description of an expatriate woman who has accompanied her husband to Dubai and lives the high life in the lovely beach suburb of Jumeirah (pronounced Joo-mear-ah as in ‘hear’). A Jumeirah Jane spends her days at the gym, the café and ferrying her children to soccer and ballet lessons in between mani/pedicures and organising her staff.
Further research on chat-sites, blogs and information boards (which can be quite heated and opinionated – just google ‘Jumeirah Jane’) suggests that a Jumeirah Jane lives in Dubai with no understanding of her cultural environment nor inclination to learn. At the most extreme (negative) end of the continuum, a Jumeirah Jane thinks herself above those around her.
This piece is a response to my initial observations of such women and a cheeky play at the imagined attitudes they have towards others in Dubai, strutting their stuff around the footpath with a superiority complex over people from other cultures who come here to work to support their families at home.
It is perhaps also written in response to my niggling fear that I may be thought of as Jumeirah Jane myself – because really, pedicures are lovely, I love my coffee and I ferry my children to and from school! Perhaps I will have to learn how to spend more on designer clothes and stop work to strut my stuff at the beach and shopping malls!
This piece is dedicated to my God-daughter Isobel – quite sure of the fact that (although beautiful) she will one day not become a Jumeirah Jane of Sydney!
Katy Abbott. 2008
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University of Melbourne Wind Symphony/Williams.
