In the City at Night - SOLO EH

In the City at Night

for solo English horn

by Jenni Brandon (b. 1977)

In The City At Night was written at the request of Ryan Zwahlen, oboe and English horn player with the Definiens Project…He was searching for new literature for the English horn and wanted to increase the repertoire by requesting composers to write new pieces for him to perform and record.I wanted to write him a piece that uses the lovely, lyrical range of the English horn while at the same time composing something that was also rhythmically fun to play. In The City At Night focuses on just that; it is at times playful and fast like many lights blinking on just after dusk in the city. At other times it is quiet and serene like the city streets that are empty at the early hours before dawn. In creating this world I wanted the listener to be left with thoughts and impressions of a city after dark, and the lone voice of the English horn telling the story of a night adventure on the city streets.