Three Places for a New Millennium
for alto saxophone [or clarinet] and piano (2006)
duration: 7’
GRT • 123
CD available
Crazy Logic
Romp Duo: Barry Cockcroft (alto saxophone), Adam Pinto (piano)
Reed Music
score available from
Reed Music
program note
1: in orbit
This was written wondering what it would be like to see the Earth from space. It also serves as a hymn to the technology of satellites that increasingly connect our humble human communications.
2: departure lounge
Most commonly, this is at an airport. When travelling alone, this can be a place to contemplate the state of one’s existence while trying to find the right angle to perch one’s hand luggage as a foot stool. But this can also be at a train station – and Sydney Central boasts a (very) modest lounge for travellers waiting for the night train to Melbourne.
3: in traffic
Statistics bear out that lane–swapping in heavy traffic to maximise time and position is mostly a waste of time and dangerous into the bargain. What’s worse is nipping into the fast lane on a slight opening, only for it to become the slow lane. My advice? Take the bike or public transport.
review
“Three Places for a New Millennium depicts three places: in orbit, a departure lounge, and in traffic. Griffiths plays with impeccable intonation and blend as he sings through the contemplative lines. The impassioned statement in the middle of the first movement is especially moving. The subdued second movement includes straightforward statements that convey a feeling of solitude. The third movement is more active with rapid passagework and a raucous conclusion.”
Justin Stanley, International Clarinet Association – The Clarinet, June 2023