John Van der Slice

Lullaby

I personally enjoy much music that is assertively complex, abstract and irregular. My previous compositions have reflected this preference, despite my awareness that many among an average concert audience would prefer music that is more simple, soothing and restful. One day, against my normal inclination, I impulsively sat down at the piano and, very quickly, composed a "lullaby" for flute, clarinet, timpani, piano and string orchestra. In this piece, a pattern of soft, gently repeated chords is itself repeated six times, each time with slight variation, the music becoming more and more simple toward the end.