The Cliffs of Moher by Stephen Chin

The Cliffs of Moher are found on the west coast of Ireland and tower about two hundred meters above the Atlantic Ocean. Large colonies of birds live on the cliffs and a wide range of sea life including grey seals, porpoises, dolphins and minke whales can be seen roaming the ocean.

In this work, I wanted to express, amongst other things, the feeling of sea spray on one’s face, the wistful nature of the green pastures, the dancing in the nearby towns and of course the grandeur of the cliffs themselves. To convey this, a range of textures such as gentle pizzicato, higher sustained notes, bass line melodies, a pensive violin solo and insistent quavers appear.

Grade: 2.5

Timing: 3’ 25”

Instrumentation:  Vln1, Vln2, Vln 3/Vla, Vlc, Bass, Keyboard (opt).