Dale Kavanagh : Loon Lake for Guitar Ensemble : DOz

Dale Kavanagh

Les Productions D’Oz: Score and separate parts (16, 4, 4, 4, and 4 pages respectively)

This piece, written for the Vancouver Guitar Orchestra, was requested by them to describe something typically Canadian, and so Dale decided to write a piece about sitting by the shores of a Canadian Lake, around a bonfire, and listening to the call of the Loon.

The piece begins with player No3 using a triangle, to imitate the crackling bonfire whilst the loon call is imitated by two of the other players. Incidentally the piece has a most individual speed marking at the top that says ‘Full Moon Clear Night Atmosphere, crotchet = approx 76 ‘, with guitars 2 and 4 dropping their 6^th string to D. After the initial loon call opening that is in Dm, an accelerando happens at bar 43 and the pace speeds up into D Major, for the main theme. Guitar 2 has a sort of motto themed rhythmic bar that carries on through whilst guitar 3 has a chordal idea, guitar 4 has a simple bass line and guitar 2 has the main part. The loon call does return a number of times during this section before a rallentando takes us into a new section with a tremolando part on the first guitar with the other three parts moving very gracefully through some pleasing sounds. A momentary change marked ‘decisively’ with some offbeat rhythms then returns to the tremolando idea after which a new theme emerges with plenty going on in all four parts. Then towards the end a number of previous ideas return before the coda where the loon call opening idea returns and everything quietens down before the coda where everyone closes on three D Major chords.

This is a very pictorial piece which Dale has very successfully written in that way. The music itself is friendly and very harmonious and every part is interesting and not too difficult although you do have to be decent players to cope with much of it. Worth trying out!