Huw Dixon

The World Premier at St Brides Church

February 4th 2025

Violin Neil Dixon: Piano David Mikic

Programme notes: 

Four candles, for violin and piano, Opus 3. A candle is a prayer, which starts on earth and ends in heaven. It links the finite with the infinite. The piece reflects this journey using four chords. The piano starts with bell-like incantations represent the earth-bound present. All the variations of the order of the notes are worked through as the first parts of the chords are revealed, singly and then as a pair in plain-song fifths. The bottom and top notes of the four chords together keep us firmly in a minor key, but begin to reveal the infinite possibilities in our world. About half- way the violin enters. It is the messenger, angel or deity Hermes-Mercury that links heaven and earth. At first it hovers slowly above the incantations of the piano, but finally it joins the piano to reveal the four chords played in full with all of their variations. What we thought was a sad minor, was really a joyous major. The violin then takes off as the piano goes silent, and we fly with it through space and time. We arrive at the destination in joyful majesty as the Piano rejoins and four chords ring out and the prayer reaches its goal. The earth is transformed with the light of the infinite. The piece ends with an elegiac reflection: we recall the musical opening, but now we see the notes differently. The violin and piano finally take us to a point of perfect stillness.

Huw Dixon is a Welsh composer and Professor at Cardiff University. The piece was written in the summer of 2024 and is dedicated to Neil Dixon. Huw Dixon is the copyright holder for this work.

Copyright Huw Dixon 2025. Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting of this recording are prohibited unless authorised by Huw Dixon. The sheet music is available on request.