Three Score and Ten for Starters

White, John

About the work

Threescore and Ten for Starters is the first piece he composed after his 70th birthday, in a spirit of lively anticipation of new creative projects rather than reminiscences of past times. The piece consists of a thrice-repeated ritornello followed by “chimes,” or exercises in polyrhythms, and a change-ringing permutation of the chords of a chorale.

First Performance: Spitalfields Festival, CoMA London Ensemble, 2006

Origin

CoMA commission for Open Score 2006