Thomas Wilson - Catalogue
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Catalogue
Saint (St.) Kentigern Suite (1986)
Programme Note available
Thomas Wilson
Commissioned by Friends of Glasgow Cathedral with assistance of the SAC on the occasion of the Cathedral's 850th anniversary..
First performance:
Scottish Ensemble / Leonard Friedman, Glasgow Cathedral, 11 Apr 1986
View performance history...
Programme Note availableThomas Wilson
Commissioned by Friends of Glasgow Cathedral with assistance of the SAC on the occasion of the Cathedral's 850th anniversary..
First performance:
Scottish Ensemble / Leonard Friedman, Glasgow Cathedral, 11 Apr 1986
Work Details
Category: orchestral string
Instrumentation: Str
Instrumentation: Str
Programme Note
St Kentigern is a shadowy yet vivid figure. He comes down to us by way of a few rather random facts and many legends and stories. His real achievement is that he gripped the imagination and continues to do so in the familiar symbols of The Bird, The Fish, The Ring, The Bell and The Tree which feature on Glasgow's Coat of Arms to this day.
Thomas Wilson takes these five symbols as a starting point for the piece. Their original purpose was to remind us of episodes in the life of Kentigern the wonder-worker. But they also lend themselves to deeper interpretations.
Thus the first movement of the suite uses `The Bird' not as a reminder of a miraculous event, but rather as a symbol of Kentigern's aspiration to higher things - the conversion of the world, and the achievement of sanctity. In the second movement `The Fish' is the activist, the messenger, but the Fish also has another dimension in that it was one of the most universally known Christian symbols of early times. `The Ring' centres on the inner world of Kentigern proclaiming his message with the fifth movement `The Tree' following on without a break. The Tree here is used entirely as a symbol of the growth, maturity and longevity of Kentigern's achievement.
St Kentigern is a shadowy yet vivid figure. He comes down to us by way of a few rather random facts and many legends and stories. His real achievement is that he gripped the imagination and continues to do so in the familiar symbols of The Bird, The Fish, The Ring, The Bell and The Tree which feature on Glasgow's Coat of Arms to this day.
Thomas Wilson takes these five symbols as a starting point for the piece. Their original purpose was to remind us of episodes in the life of Kentigern the wonder-worker. But they also lend themselves to deeper interpretations.
Thus the first movement of the suite uses `The Bird' not as a reminder of a miraculous event, but rather as a symbol of Kentigern's aspiration to higher things - the conversion of the world, and the achievement of sanctity. In the second movement `The Fish' is the activist, the messenger, but the Fish also has another dimension in that it was one of the most universally known Christian symbols of early times. `The Ring' centres on the inner world of Kentigern proclaiming his message with the fifth movement `The Tree' following on without a break. The Tree here is used entirely as a symbol of the growth, maturity and longevity of Kentigern's achievement.
Notes
Dedicated to Leonard Friedman.
5 movement suite which must be played in its entirety.
Dedicated to Leonard Friedman.
5 movement suite which must be played in its entirety.
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St Kentigern Suite
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Item Details
Publisher: Queensgate Music
Location: hire library
Format: set
Location: hire library
Format: set