Clive Strutt - Symphonic Poems

Symphonic Poems

In 1973, the centenary of the birth of Gustav Holst, a composer much admired by Strutt, inspired the production of a symphonic poem entitled "Pluto, the Bringer of Change". This was intended as both a tribute to the memory of Holst and a commemoration of his birth, and the intention in performance terms was as a work to be played in the same programme as Holst's "Planets" suite - the orchestration is the same, except that no vocal forces are used. The compositional history of the piece is, however, not of a work originally composed for orchestra, but of a work transcribed for orchestra from a chamber piece for seven clarinets. This clarinet septet - the scoring included the rare octocontrabass and contrabass clarinets, as well as the E flat piccolo and alto clarinets - was played in a private run-through at Kneller Hall (the Royal Military School of Music) by an ad hoc ensemble led by Terry Busby in 1969, but subsequently ceased to have a separate existence once the orchestral transcription had been made.

A symphonic poem entitled "At the Tomb of the Sea-Eagles" was composed in 1986. The composer was living in a cottage in the South Parish of South Ronaldsay, and only a couple of fields away from a now prominent archaeological site known as the Tomb of the Eagles. This is a Neolithic chambered tomb discovered in 1958 by Ronald Simison, the farmer on whose land the tomb lies, and later professionally excavated and written-up by John W. Hedges. Hedges occupied a cottage in the locality and became friendly with Strutt. The symphonic poem is dedicated to Hedges, and the score bears a quotation from the latter's popular publication "Tomb of the Eagles": When in Orkney I sometimes walk down to the tomb of Isbister to spend time on my own. It is a place of great atmosphere where, cut off from the outside world, one is inescapably made aware of the past. I am not talking of psychic phenomena here but, more mundanely, of the sheer impressiveness of a prehistoric monument and the insight which modern archaeology can give us into the period in which it was built. One can almost bring it to life in the imagination and even in its present state of decay it provides considerable reflection. Perhaps one day it will be the source of inspiration for a piece of music - the thought itself is an indication of my feelings".

The work lasts thirteen minutes in performance, and the scoring is for a triple woodwind-sized orchestra including a cimbalom, piano doubling celesta, organ and SATB chorus. The sung text comprises the sacred incantatory mystical syllable "Om" characteristic of Indian religions, and is used in the context of the score both as a quasi-instrumental element, and a reference to link the practice of sky burial, which is believed to have been used at the tomb, with Tibet where excarnation is also to be found.