String sextet
About the work
Mission: Urdd was written specifically as a competition piece for the Urdd National Eisteddfod, one of the most important annual celebrations of youth culture and performance in Wales. The work takes the competitive spirit of the Eisteddfod as its starting point, creating music that is energetic, challenging and designed to showcase the technical ability and musical discipline of a young string ensemble.
The title itself is deliberately direct: this is a musical mission — a challenge to a group of young musicians to work together, meet the demands of the music and deliver a convincing performance.
The work is scored for two violins, two violas, cello and double bass, creating a substantial string ensemble sound while giving individual players opportunities to come to the fore.
Mission: Urdd therefore sits very naturally within that tradition: it is music written for young musicians, for competition and for performance, with the demands of the occasion built into the character of the piece.
The music
From the opening bars, Mission: Urdd establishes a sense of urgency. The Con moto marking and compound 6/8 metre create a strong forward momentum, while repeated accented figures give the music a distinctly physical, rhythmic character.
The music continually moves between driving rhythmic passages and more reflective material. Rapid semiquaver writing is passed between the upper strings, while the lower strings provide a firm rhythmic foundation. The contrasts of ff, f, mf, mp and p allow the ensemble to build and release tension repeatedly.
The result is a work that is both a musical challenge and a celebration of young musicianship — demanding precision, stamina and ensemble awareness while giving performers plenty of opportunity to demonstrate energy, expression and technical confidence.
Phil Orrin 