Circius

Composed during the summer of 1988. Commissioned by The Norwegian Brass Band Club First performed in the Grieg Hall¬? at the 10th Anniversary Concert for the Norwegian Championship, Bergen, February 1989. EBML conducted by Michael Antrobus.

The work is important for me because it was my first piece to be played outside Norway. Black Dyke/David King performed it and did a recording of it in 1991.

The composer:
In the original score I quote a Swedish bishop (Olaus Mangnus) who lived in the 15th century. He travelled around Scandinavia and drew maps - very important historic material.

When he came to the north of Norway (where I come from) hedescribed the wind from the north as Ciricus: (something like) Worst of all winds is Circius, that revolves(?= turn upside down) heaven and earth. (Well, not a good translation I¬?m afraid).

The fast sections reflects the mighty winds from the north. In the middle section, I borrowed a folksong-like tune (by C. Elling, a norwegian composer).
The text (by Kristoffer Janson) tells about old times when the fishermen used open boats: they had to put their lives in the hands of God. De opening en het slot van dit werk beschrijven 'Circius' de wind die hemel en aarde verwoest.
Het middendeel is een bewerking van het Noorse volkslied 'The fisherman's speech to his son'. De inhoud van het lied komt overeen met Circius. De vader verzoekt zijn zoon de krachten van de natuur te trotseren, maar bovenal te respecteren.
Een kort doch spectaculair concertwerk dat het gehele orkest in de greep heeft.