John Maxwell Geddes

Programme Note

Alley Cat (2004) was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The work consists of one short movement in simple ternary form : two noisy aggressive sections contain a brief soliloquy for solo trombone.
Alley Cat is king of the lane; he is boss over all other cats and mice, and any challengers are quickly sent packing. After rampaging around his territory, he makes a proclamation from his dustbin home and proceeds to meet the next challenger head on!
Alley Cat follows in the pawprints of Geddes's "Leo, dreaming ..." (1988) which has been performed throughout the world (recently in Moscow, Minneapolis, London, Tokyo, Dublin, Germany and Norway.) Also from the same cattery is his new song cycle "Kitty Haikai" (2004) based on the cat haikus of the late Geroge Bruce, and premiered this summer at the Word Festival in Aberdeen.