COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: DUNCAN PETERSEN-JONES, "AN DEIREADH"

This week sees the world premiere of a new and unique orchestral work composed by MCI member Duncan Petersen-Jones. It features the Highland Bagpipes in a soloistic setting that stretches the limits and capabilities of what the instrument is able to accomplish. The world premiere for "An Deireadh" will take place on Wednesday, February 20th as part of the University of Michigan Philharmonia Orchestra's annual Concert of New Works, featuring premieres of new music written by students of U of M's composition studio.
Read on to learn more about Petersen-Jones's brand-new composition:

Describe your inspiration for composing the piece. What is its overall conception?
An Deireadh is a concerto movement for Highland Bagpipes and Orchestra. The title is taken from the Scots Gaelic words meaning "The End." An Deireadh could mean so many things. It could mean the end of a life, the end of our way of life, or the end of humanity. The end is chaotic and violent, but the end is not truly the end. The end can be the beginning of something else. Perhaps there will be no hope for us at the end, but there will be hope that something will continue on.

What are some goals you set to accomplish with composing this new work? What are some challenges you faced?
My goal for “An Deireadh” was to create a piece for bagpipes and orchestra which tries to push the boundary of bagpipe music and its orchestral repertoire. The biggest challenge was the limitation and the volume of the bagpipes, but through extended techniques and clever orchestration, these challenges were overcome.

What are some things that you hope audience members will take away from hearing your piece?
I hope the audience will take away the unique sound the bagpipes can make and the catchy melodies that it will create.