In 2004, British composer Peter Maxwell Davies became part of musical history when he accepted the invitation to become Master of the Queen’s Music. Previous holders of the post include Edward Elgar, John Stanley and Arnold Bax – so ‘Max’, as he is called by all who know him, found himself in illustrious company.
His solo piano work Farewell to Stromness isn’t particularly indicative of his music overall, which is often noticeable both for its visceral sound-world and for its avant-garde structures. But Farewell to Stromness is certainly among his most immediately accessible and most enchantingly simple melodies. Its inspiration is unique in classical music: it was written as a protest against a proposed uranium mine on the remote Orkney Islands where the composer lives.
Many people were introduced to the piece when it was performed in a string arrangement by members of the Philharmonia Orchestra at the blessing of the marriage of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in 2005.
