STRING ORCHESTRA
minimum 6•6•4•4•2

Duration: ca. 14 minutes
Composed: 1997

Programme Note: Circadian Rhythms was commissioned by CBC Radio Music for the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra’s 1997/98 concert season.  It was written between September 1996 and February 1997.  The title refers to our solar day biorhythms.  This piece is a musical exploration of the sleep-cycle portion of the circadian rhythms, and its three movements describe different phases of sleep.

The first movement, “Strung-out”, deals with the process of falling asleep.  In this phase, the conscious mind loosens its control over our sensory experience, and gives in, sometimes reluctantly, to the need to rest.  To express this, the melodic line is divided between all the sections of the orchestr

Premiere: First performance by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Simon Streatfield, Winnipeg, December 9, 1997