Maxwell Davies - A Mirror of Whitening Light (1977)

"The ‘mirror’ is the great expanse of the Pentland Firth, as seen from Davies’s croft: much of the music evokes the sea, with its flickering colours and splashy resonances. But the title alludes also to processes of alchemical transformation, and the music takes up this suggestion too in its sustained developmental energy, pressing through sections of diverse texture, speed and weight. It is cast in a single movement, in a characteristic modal version of C, and is effectively a condensed chamber symphony. It is also one of Davies’s most gripping and beautiful achievements." (Paul Griffiths) London Sinfonietta conducted by Sian Edwards. Link to Maxwell Davies' own programme note: http://tiny.cc/t8gi001