7th Heaven (10 Pos)

7th Heaven (10 Pos) (1: Pillars of Wisdom - Blocks - 2: Colours of the Rainbow - Curves - 3: Stars in the Sky - Points - 4: Seas - Swashbuckling - 5: Swans a-Swimming - Serene - 6: Seventh Heaven - Celestial - 7: St Ives - Fugue This piece was written for a programme whose theme was the number 7. Hence 7 short movements each related to well-known relationship with the number. 1: Seven Pillars of Wisdom was a concept originally from the Book of Proverbs: "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars" It was later used as a title to philosophical book by DH Lawrence. Musically this simply consists of 7 different chords linked by a series of quasi-recitative phrases. 2: The seven curving phrases combine, one by one, until the full spectrum is achieved. 3: 7 notes are distributed between 7 players; they can be identified, just as when we look at a constellation of stars, as single points of sound/light or heard/seen in groups or as clusters. (The 7 notes, in the right order, make up a quotation from a famous Star melody) 4: The rhythmic background is a musical pun (7 repeated Cs). There is a flavour here of exploits in the Spanish Main. 5: Calm, still, water: elegant swan shape; paddling feet beneath the surface 6: Rising chords suggesting the progression to the 7th level, the far reaches of the known world, where ancient civilisations believed heaven began. 7: As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives; Every wife had seven sacks, every sack had seven cats, every cat had seven kits; Kits, Cats, Sacks, Wives; how many were going to St Ives? The ever-increasing numbers are suggested by a short fugato which becomes a jazz waltz and the answer to the riddle is exposed at the end. Performance notes: As much of the piece is for two groups: parts 1-3 and parts 4-10, a strong player should take part 4. The movements should be played segue.)