Lindsey Berwin

All the Fun at the Fair

Each piece in this unusual and engaging modern piano suite by the British composer Lindsey Berwin, showcases fairground sounds, depicting various rides and stalls. The mystery of The Ghost Train and the thrill of The Rollercoaster, the hilarity of The Dodgem Cars and the relaxation of The Lazy Water Ride … these are all created by the use of chromatic passages, whole-tone scales and dissonances. The tritone parallel motion in The Pirate Ship represents a characterful swagger and the sequences of perfect fourths in The Lotus Flower Ferris Wheel lend an oriental flavour to the music. The somewhat atonal feel of The Coconut Shy, together with quirky acciaccaturas and two-part imitation, portrays two people competing for the prize.