Description
Hepplewhite, Russell: Riddle
Ref
W241
Categories
Choral Music
,
Latest Titles
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MultiBuy
By
Russell Hepplewhite
Words by
Alice Oswald
SATB and piano
Duration: 5′
Cut it with gold, catch it in the left hand
Guess what it is
What is ‘thin-legged, leathery’, and born of a ‘half bird half bush’? The answer lies in renowned poet Alice Oswald’s intriguing
Riddle
, imaginatively set for SATB voices and piano by leading theatre composer, Russell Hepplewhite. A well-chosen array of dramatic techniques, including whispering, glissandos, pregnant pauses and excitable parlando, heighten the suspense leading to a climactic reveal in the middle of the piece. Hepplewhite’s lush harmonies and subtle lyricism pair superbly with Oswald’s wide-ranging and colourful imagery, making
Riddle
a requisite for any choir seeking to enrich and expand their contemporary repertoire.
Riddle
is one of ten new poems commissioned and set to music by Russell Hepplewhite in his landmark choral anthology
Living Voices
, published by Stainer & Bell. See
here
for more information on the other pieces in the collection.
First performed on 26 June 2025 by Whitehall Choir, conducted by Joanna Tomlinson
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