David L. Wells

Sicilienne

This Sicilienne by David L. Wells was commissioned by the West Michigan Flute Association (WMFA), and was inspired by the composer's admiration of other similarly lilting pieces, such as Gabriel Fauré's enchanting 'Sicilienne' from Pelléas et Mélisande as well as Modest Mussorgsky's captivating 'Il vecchio castello' ('The Old Castle') from Pictures at an Exhibition. The resulting piece is a dark and rich work for flute choir in eight parts with a total of seven key changes in six minutes. Unlike other genres, siciliennes have historically been composed both major or minor keys, and in this case it begins and ends in the somewhat unusual key of A-flat minor (7 flats!).