The 11th Commandment

The piece was commissioned by my friend and colleague, the great flautist Andy Findon. It appears on Andy’s excellent album "Density 21.5" on Nimbus Alliance (NI 6157). The title refers to the following unwritten law: "thou shall not be caught". It is a fact of life that most of us can be economic with the truth from time to time. It is my belief that white lies can sometimes be justified if the result is an avoidance of suffering to a fellow human being. The trick is not to commit the eleventh commandment. The work is written in 11 time ( subdivided into 6+5 or 5+6 ) for almost the entire duration. It is not until the final Presto that the commandment is broken, the music teetering manically on the edge of 7/16, 9/16, 3/8 and 12/8. The 11-metre does make the odd appearance in the last few bars, but in truth the game is already up. It is important that the contrasting moods of quiet reflection and joyful abandon are fully brought out in any performance. The fast sections between bar 19 and 35 and the entire section from 53 to the end should be in strict time, the metronome marks rigorously observed. Rhythmic vitality is the key here. The slow sections can be more freely interpreted. Here the emphasis is on melody rather than rhythm. The music should ebb and flow. Bring out all that is beautiful and lyrical on your instrument in the slow sections and all that is vibrant and exciting in the fast sections.