Fit for a King - Variations 1 & 13

Instrumentation

Wind Quintet [Fl, Ob, Cl, Fg, Hn]

Other Information

These variations 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. These two variations of ´Sosban Fach´ are described by the composer thus:

Variation 1 - Peter J Witchell:

"My ‘Lively’ variation exploits the fun to be had with the jaunty rhythms set against the tune’s tragic minor key – just as Mary Ann’s household is in lively, but loving, turmoil!"

Variation 13 - Peter J Witchell:

"I inherited a little saucepan from my dad – it was tiny, and he used it to boil one egg.  Sadly the handle fell off, but I was happily able to track down a replacement in Pwllheli – an ironmonger’s called, I think, ‘Evans, Evans & Evans’, where the family staff talked to each other in Welsh, so you were not quite sure what they were saying about you! So ‘Sospan Fach’ appealed to me as an apt tune for variations. The rise and fall of the melody, and the rhythmic features, such as the ‘Scottish snap’ - OK, I know it’s a Welsh tune! - presented many possibilities. I like music that that teases the listener – Sondheim often writes music whose mood is at odds with his lyrics. So the seriousness of my ‘Grave’ variation is cast aside by the frivolous ending, rather in the manner of the introduction to a Haydn symphony."

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.