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Pizzicato

James Cook wrote his 8th and 9th symphonies in 2006. They are works in the tradition of the French organ symphony, concertante works on a liturgical instrument without reference to sacred acts. However, the gods do play a role in James Cook’s compositions, which refer to Greek mythology.

Symphony No. 8 is about Olympus, about natural atmospheres cloaked in mystical, dark, shimmering timbres. Kevin Bowyer orchestrates this atmosphere with great sensitivity, constantly striving to build tension and break through the twilight with brilliant clarity.

However, some lengths prevent a consistently intense narrative structure, which is also due to the inner architecture of the symphonies. In Symphony No. 8, long outer movements frame the relatively short middle section.

In the Ninth, the slow final movement is longer than the preceding six movements combined. This work also contains many beautiful, original ideas (the short march and the Presto that follows it).

The symphony refers to Apollo, the god of light, and depicts a day in early 20th century England with sunrise, country walks, hustle and bustle, and the fading of daylight. Once again, Kevin Bowyer uses bright colors that fade like a fine shadow toward the end.