Composed: 2023
Premiered: 2023, Halifax
Duration: 11 minutes

A few years ago, Symphony Nova Scotia performed Vivaldi’s Concerto Per L’Orchestra Di Dresda (Concerto for the orchestra of Dresden) with Jeanne Lamon. It was a joy to play, as was any piece we did with Jeanne. She explained that Dresden had one of the best orchestras in Europe in Vivaldi’s day, and he wrote the piece to display both the orchestra and its individual players.

So, when I was commissioned to write a piece to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Symphony Nova Scotia, I could think of nothing more suitable than to take my cue from Vivaldi. In our day, you don’t have to go to Dresden to hear a fine orchestra – we have wonderful players right here. I wanted to create a piece that would give every section of the orchestra its moments to shine and to show what our musicians can do.

The result is Concerto Haligonia. I imagine “Haligonia” as the name that 18th-century Italians would have given to our city. Vivaldi was my main model and Handel helped a lot, too. The piece is Vivaldian in both form and length – three short movements, about 11 minutes in all. But the style is my own, other than a brief quote from Vivaldi in the first movement, which becomes the main theme of the last movement. All the solo passages I wrote with my colleagues in mind, whose playing I know well. It will be an honour and a pleasure to hear them bring the notes to life.

Program note by the composer.