Variations on an English Pastoral Theme

Here is the famous Brother James's Air in a plaintive, rich settings for strings that will feature both violin and cello soloists.    At the heart of the piece is the opening violin solo melody, which is played in a wistful, folk style that captures the attention of the listener. The melody explores the modal territory in the manner of early 20th century English string suites. There are solos, duets, fragments of melodic material for each instrument, and a wide range of sweeping dynamic contrasts.