David Fisher - Fit for a King - Variation 7

Fit for a King - Variation 7

Instrumentation

Wind Quintet [Fl. Ob, Cl, Fg, FH]

Recording, download - 1.41MB

David Fisher - Fit for a King - Variation 7

Other Information

This variation on the famous Welsh melody Sosban Fach was written in celebration of the birth of HRH Prince George of Cambridge, 22nd July 2013, and is respectfully dedicated to HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales; HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and HRH Prince George of Cambridge.

When the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy was announced, the Chairman of the Central Composers’ Alliance, David Fisher, resolved to bridge the royal generations by inviting his colleagues in the Alliance contribute to a joint work on a famous Welsh theme to acknowledge the lineage of the Princes of Wales from Dafydd ap Llywelyn to HRH Prince Charles. As this heredity will continue to HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and then HRH Prince George of Cambridge, this work is therefore respectfully dedicated to all three generations.

The melody of Sosban Fach was chosen by David Fisher as one of the most famous of all Welsh tunes. It hasn’t been chosen for its subject matter, though it is originally a nursery song, but for the popularity in the Principality as one of the most often sung songs in the Welsh language. It is best known for its association with Llanelli Rugby Union Club and by internationally renowned performers such as Only Boys Aloud. Robert Ramskill arranged the theme before the composers’ contributions were collected over several months. Dr Ramskill was also entrusted to the difficult task of editing and ordering the pieces for publication.

The whole story of the Fit for a King and the accompanying videos may be accessed by clicking HERE. This is the seventh variation which is described by the composer thus:

Variation 7 [1´18"] - David Fisher:

Over my triple time version of the “Sosban Fach” melody on the French horn I have placed on the oboe my favourite Welsh tune “Dafydd y Garreg Wen”. This is a ‘traditional’ Welsh air composed by David Owen, who was a famous blind harpist and composer of the first half of the 18th century and who lived near Porthmadog. “David of the White Rock” is named after the farm in which he lived. Around these two melodies the other three instruments play imitative phrases based on the two airs with a short homophonic section in the middle. Set in a ternary form, the B minor melodies are framed by sections beginning in D major which are based on the last eight bars of “Sosban Fach”.

The photographs below are:

[Left] Serenata Winds in the process of recording Fit for a King on July 22nd 2013 at the Ellen Terry Building of the University of Coventry on the very day that HRH Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was born.

[Right] Serenata Winds performing the world première of Fit for a King at the splendid venue of The Ark, St Laurence Church, Alvechurch, Worcestershire on the evening of 5th April 2014.

David Fisher - Fit for a King - Variation 7

David Fisher - Fit for a King - Variation 7