Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Silver Winds Suite is a three-movement work for advanced performers. Commissioned by UK concert flautist Mark Underwood, the work was completed in 2025. The premiere performance by Mark Underwood, together with composer/pianist Margaret Brandman took place at a concert at the Mosman Art Gallery (Sydney, Australia) on the 18th of May 2025.

Each of the movements in this suite is under five minutes' duration and has its own descriptive title. These can be played as a stand-alone works. The duration of the complete suite is between 9 and 10 minutes.

"Silver Whirlwinds" is the first movement of the suite; duration approximately 4 minutes. This movement features a lilting accompaniment figure over which the flute plays whirling sextuplet figures.

"Silvery Breezes" is the second movement of the suite; duration approximately 3 minutes. This lively and dramatic work includes a lively, funky rhythmic motif and rapid passages of 16th notes in the flute part. There are several changes of time-signature and many sections of interplay and counterpoint between the flute and piano.

"Sweet Silver Winds" is the third movement of the suite; duration approximately 3 minutes. The melodies and harmonies in this movement move between the D and G Aeolian Modes. After the opening piano flourish, the flute plays a two-bar rhythm using the hard tongue effect, then a five-bar 16th note melody, with several syncopated effects. After this statement of the theme, both flute and piano play the bridging melodic material. The work includes sections of flutter tonguing and segments where the flautist sings and plays the melodies at the same time.

Work Details

Year: 2025

Instrumentation: Flute, piano.

Duration: 10 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — Rapid 16th note sextuplets. Sustained trills. Double tonguing. Changes of Meter. Percussive effects, sustained phrases on the highest notes. Flutter tonguing. Playing and singing simultaneously.

Contents note: I. Silver Whirlwinds -- II. Silvery Breezes -- III. Sweet Silver Winds.

Dedication note: Dedicated to Mark Underwood

Commission note: Commissioned by Mark Underwood.