Early in 2023 I received a text from Margery Baker, conductor of the Wymondham Youth and Pulham Orchestras, to the effect that Bounce (a piece dating all the way back to 2004) is to be played again in August as part of the orchestras’ 40th anniversary celebrations. News like this is always uplifting to hear as repeat performances, particularly of orchestral pieces, are rarely easy to come by. Bounce was commissioned by Making Music as part of their Breakout scheme that paired professional composers with amateur ensembles up and down the country. A successful relationship with an amateur performing organisation involves skill and sensitivity on the part of the composer and open-mindedness and a little risk-taking on the part of the performers. I’ve had mixed experiences in this arena (with faults lying in both camps) but the WYO/PO collaboration was one of the best and this was down in no small part to the skill, energy and enthusiasm of Margery Baker, a musical whirlwind dedicated to grassroots orchestral music-making in East Anglia. The title of my piece is a light-hearted nod to Margery’s conducting style that is one of springy, alertness.
I am making a few minor changes to Bounce in advance of the latest performance. I first pulled out the score and listened along with some trepidation – coming face-to-face (or ear-to-ear) with your twenty years younger musical self can be unnerving – but the piece stands up okay and with a snip here and there I’ll be very happy to hear it once more. What the recording also revealed was how well the orchestras coped with the challenges of the score, some of which I would be loath to write again, for example rather fussy variations of immediately repeated material that can act has unhelpful music ‘tripwires’ for amateur musicians. Still, under Margery’s direction I know I’m in very safe hands.
