At the moment, I am working on a piece for orchestra based on a 16th century song called Westron Wynde. This secular melody was used by a number of English composers as the basis for settings of the mass, most notably John Tavener, Christopher Tye and John Sheppard. These composers use modified versions of the Westron Wynde tune as the basis for each of the movements of the mass.
In the extract uploaded here, I use the opening phrase of the tune as the basis for the music and to create the melodic arc and shape.
The orchestration is as follows: 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, organ, harp and strings
I would very much like to receive feedback on your thoughts about the music. Please use the comment box below to let me know what you think.