Diana Hamilton: The Garden at Creag Bhan [download]

This was composed at the suggestion of our late friend, Jack, who, over many years, designed and nurtured a wonderful garden. One day, when he’d been listening to Respighi’s Fountains of Rome, he suggested that perhaps I could compose something inspired by his own fountain, gently bubbling outside his sun room as we talked.

The first of these three pieces, therefore, ‘Fountains at Creag Bhan’, represents the bubbling of the fountain, but a stronger, confident theme is also heard, as I imagined Jack walking in his garden.

The second piece represents Jack’s beautiful Japanese garden, with its bonsai shrubs and Japanese bridge.

The third piece is entitled ‘Garden Walk.’ It was always such a delight to stroll through the garden, see the many wonderful plants, shrubs, bushes and trees and hear all about them as Jack gave a guided tour, complete with all the Latin names. Towards the end of the music, the theme which represented Jack in the first piece returns, combined with the Garden Walk theme.