Programme Note The term "traditional music" means music that has been "handed down" from generation to generation. For most people, the term refers primarily to folk music; but for those of us involved in concert music, our "traditional music" is the music of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods. In Traditional Music,I pay tribute to these periods in concert music. The work is in four interconnected sections which do hommage to the lively polyphony of the Baroque period, the joyous scherzi of the Classical period, the sensuous melodies of the Romantic period, and the dynamic vibrancy of the Modern period. Introducing each of these sections is a Rondo passage for the string quartet which changes to reflect each new musical period as it is introduced. Incorporated into each section is a cadenza uniting the solo viola with each of the members of the quartet in turn. A cadenza for solo viola alone concludes the work. Traditional Music was commissioned by the Sound Symposium through a grant from the Canada Council and is dedicated to Don Wherry, Kathy Clark, Rivka Golani, and the members of the Atlantic String Quartet: Alison Black, Jennifer Johnson, Alexandra Fekete and Theo Weber, all of whom were responsible for its creation and premiere in July, 1998.

REVIEWS 1. The Premiere Performance, St. John's, NF, July 16, 1998. The Evening Telegram, St. John's, NF, July 17, 1998: Glenn Coulton A sparkling performance from one of the world's finest violists and impressive world premieres by two of Newfoundland's finest composers highlighted Thursday night's Sound Symposium concert at the MUN School of Music. Rivka Golani, who holds the rare distinction of having had more viola pieces written for her than any other violist in history (over 200 in all) demonstrated the phenomenal technique, interpretive sensitivity, and flair for contemporary music which have made her a much sought after performer the world over. After [Thursday] night's concert, a new ensemble can be added to Golani's distinguished list of collaborators: Newfoundland's own Atlantic String Quartet. The Quartet - Alison McLellan (first violin), Jennifer Johnson (second violin), Alexandra Fekete (viola), and Theo Weber (cello) - teamed up with Golani for the world premiere of Traditional Music Op. 57 by Corner Brook composer Michael Parker... Parker's piece, a four-section tribute to four of the major periods in music history, begins with a Baroque-style imitation and ends with a frenzied salute to modernism, alluding to great works of the past in the process, yet recreating that past through his own vision. Technically as well as stylistically, the piece presents an enormous challenge to all five players... Golani's playing was brilliant, particularly the climactic and virtuosic final section, while the Quartet gave a coherent, polished, and interpretively well conceived performance. The end result: an impressive world premiere well deserving of the lengthy ovation which followed.