These visions did appear… takes inspiration from the Shakespearian character Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The work opens with gentle, mysterious chords, representing a dark woodland scene, with the gentle rustling of wind creating apprehensive energy. Nervous fragments of melody, which echo around the haunted environment, are interchanged between the instruments, leading to a powerful climax as Puck awakes and plots his mischief amongst evil spirits. Lively and energetic rhythms engulf the central section of the work, during which melodic fragments combine to form a quirky, roguish dance. As the nymph-like creature causes havoc and mayhem, energy levels increase, leading to frenetic homophonic rhythmic writing: the height of Puck’s impishness. Dawn approaches, and nervy energy is replaced by a nostalgic sense of reality; the end of playful dreaming. The music returns to a mystical sense of the unexpected: a nocturnal setting of relative calm.

These visions did appear… was first performed by the Lunar Saxophone Quartet at The Warehouse, Waterloo, London on 22 November 2008. The work was awarded First Prize in the LSQ New Music Competition 2008.

from notes by Peter Reynolds © 2010