As classical music increasingly takes an influence from other musical styles, it has always struck me as a little odd that ‘pop and rock’ music has rarely played a role. However, I can see why; pop and rock music has a rawness and energy, simplicity, power and excitement that is often alien to the textures of classical combinations - a statement which is intended as a compliment rather than to belittle it. So I decided to take five examples of pop music from the 1960’s, mainly because that was the era for me that I was enveloped in the genre. I didn’t necessarily pick the most obvious pieces to base this work on, rather  those that were personal to me. At the same time I wanted to write for the bassoon as I was aware that new pieces are a relative rarity compared with some instruments , and so I embarked on sketching the work. 

 

As I was enveloped in other works, it was some time before I returned to this piece, deciding that I wanted another instrument (cello) to give more depth to the work. Interestingly, I could no longer remember all the pieces that I had based the sketch on, but feeling this to be rather appropriate I did not dig too deeply to find out.  I was, however, aware that the more I worked on it the more it became disassociated from the five works I had chosen, and it is so blurred now that it ceases to be important. But the title, The Haze of Time, does seem appropriate!