headerlogo

Underwater Music

for orchestra. Anthony Ritchie Opus 57

A colourful descriptive piece, imaginatively portraying seahorses, stingrays and dolphins.

Listen to performance from SOUNZ

Listen to performance from RNZ


A Rattle Records CD of Symphony No. 6 and Underwater Music has been recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

"... playfully illustrative and light-hearted ... shares with so many of Ritchie's scores the happy knack of utilising the timbral potential of an orchestra to maximum effect but using minimum textural complexity." (Nick Barnard Music Web International)

Programme Note

The Auckland Sinfonietta requested a piece from me on the theme of the sea. My title was partly motivated by the famous Handel precedent, but focuses on creatures who live in the sea.

The first movement is titled Seahorses and captures the gently undulating movements of these small creatures. More dramatic gestures suggest the ebb and flow of the sea. The second movement is titled Sting rays and the music suggests the slowly flapping motion of the rays. In the third movement, Dolphins, the orchestra presents an energetic theme, and the movement is full of strong, upward sweeping gestures. A piccolo solo in the middle section derives from the opening, and portrays a baby dolphin. The work ends with a blow from the dolphin's spout.

This commissioned work was first performed in 1994, and recorded for Concert FM under the baton of John Matheson.

Buy the right to download a single pdf containing the full score, and permission to duplicate or print it as required for one orchestra : NZ$25.00

Buy the right to download a single pdf containing all parts, online, and permission to duplicate or print it as required for one orchestra : NZ$60.00

Orders are saved in a secure Paypal shopping cart which is viewed on a separate browser tab. When you have finished shopping, simply Check Out for a Secure Guest check out using your credit card, or to use an existing Paypal account choose Paypal Check Out.
Orders are processed every 5 minutes. An email with a link to each file should arrive within 6 minutes of checking out. If it does not arrive we will likely notice during a New Zealand working day but please send an email to bellbirdpublications at gmail dot com if you have any problems with ordering.