The Fairview Hymns

The Fairview Hymns is an arrangement of two traditional English hymnal melodies for solo marimba. The two melodies differ in their character but cohere into one brilliant musical experience. The piece begins with Gustav Holst’s slow and melodious treatment of In the Bleak Midwinter. Dissonant harmonies are added along with slight blues inflections to make the piece more soloistic and idiomatic for the marimba. The piece ends with Ralph Vaughan William’s treatment of Come Down, O Love Divine, a much more rustic and dance-like piece that functions as a great closer to this intricate marimba solo.