Character Suites Volume 1

Character Suites Volume 1 contains two suites: The Turlough Suite and the Sunday Suite

The Turlough Suite describes a cloudy, rainy day in the West of Ireland. In the first movement, threatening clouds gather — since the piece is written for young ensembles with only basic technical skills, this is often their first encounter with dissonance — before a gentle rain follows.
The second movement, "After the Rain," describes the woodland floor once the rain has passed. We often talk about that particular fresh smell and how to translate it into sound. For the syncopated rhythms, we make up practice lyrics to clap and sing — the first violins, for instance, use: "Drip drop, the rain has gone, now all the clouds are moving on."
The third movement follows a curious little hedgehog coming along, and the last movement describes an evening at the turlough, which is a unique type of disappearing lake found mostly in the limestone areas of Ireland, west of the River Shannon. The opening of this final movement can be interpreted as fog.

The Sunday Suite follows a Sunday from the early morning stroll to the Lullaby. Snack time is full of fun — maybe there's some sibling squabbling over favourite treats. Sunday dinner, by contrast, is quite formal, perhaps with grandparents present. At the end of the dinner, dessert is served and everything lightens up again. The Lullaby is a gentle ending to a busy day. As with the other suites, these are just suggestions — players are welcome to shape their own version of the day.